Picking a bike for a cyclist new to riding on the road?

My usual answer to the question of "What sort of new bike should a (relatively speaking) novice cyclist get" is "used".  Better to ride a year or two on a moderately priced used bike than to drop a bundle on the WRONG new bike.

(Nothing wrong with your "light mountain bike", BTW, other than you'd want smoother tires, the suspension may be too soft, and maybe your bike can't mount a rack very well.)

Eventually you need to decide:

Straight bars or drops?
How many gears?
Rack?
Fenders?

The answers to these questions can only come after you find out how often/far you're going to commute.  You may start out loafing along and discover that you like to sprint all the way (meaning drop bars would be a good idea).  You may start out a fair-weather cyclist and get so into it that you're riding in the rain (where you'll really appreciate a bike with sufficient wheel clearance for fenders) or in the snow (where your current mountain bike, with studded tires, might be just the ticket).  You may start out cycling just a half-mile each way to work, then discover that you like to take "shortcuts" of a few miles.  (I ride 10 miles to work, but commonly take a "shortcut" in the morning that adds another 25.)  You may discover that you bike to the grocer and to the theatre on weekends.  You may carry a change of clothes in a small fanny pack, or you may need panniers to carry clothes and laptop/papers for work.

Or you may discover that you don't really like cycling that much and just do that occasional half-mile jaunt.

And it's also important to get a bike that FITS well, especially if you'll be riding any distance.  This means the right height for your leg length, the right top bar length for your torso length, an overall geometry that suits the flexibility of your body (understanding, BTW, that excess avoirdupois significantly limits ones ability to lean forward and low on the drops).  Some of this a good bike shop person can help you with, but to a large degree you must learn "fit" from trial and error.


What's the difference between Fulcrum Racing 3 and Fulcrum Racing S3?

The difference between the Racing 3 and the racing S3 is that the racing S3 is a 35mm deep aero wheel and the racing 3 is a more shallow lighter wheel.


One of the reviews has something interesting to say

  These 27" and 26" tires are made to fit older 10 speed/english racer
  type bikes. You should remember that the 26"x1-3/8" size predates the
  MTB era by at least three decades, they came first. If you have an old
  Raleigh three speed or a 1970s Peugeot then these are the tires you
  need in the appropriate rim size. In general, if you have a Mountain
  bike or your bike is less then 20 years old, these are probably the
  wrong tires for you

According to Sheldon, mountain bikes use "decimal" sizes, such as 26x1.75 and some older road bikes from the 70s use "fractional" sizes like 26x1-3/4.

Although it appears you bought 1.375 which is a decimal size, so it should fit modern bikes. However 1.375 = 1-3/8 which is the size the review is talking about. According to Sheldon, 26x1-3/8 would have a BSD of 597mm or 590mm while newer 26 inch bikes have a BSD of 559mm, making the old sized tired too big for modern rims.


I get this question once in a while (working in Danish Cyclist Federation). It seems to be based on the idea that commuting by bike will expose you to more pollution than commuting by car. I have seen no research that proves this. However, I have seen research indicating that the opposite might be true. Some was in danish, but here's some in english and french (links to pdf's at the end of this article): http://www.pollution-china.com/Blog/More-exposed-to-pollution-in-a-car.html

You should also consider the possible danger of wearing a mask while being physically active. There has been little research in this field that I'm aware of but there could be a risk of creating negative pressure by obstructing the airway which has been known in some cases to produce pulmonary edema. We (again Danish Cyclist Federation) sent some masks to some danish specialists who concluded that the risk was very small, but since pulmonary edema is a very serious thing, I still want to lead your attention to this. Maybe you can find some research (I would be interested to hear about it).

Also keep in mind that if the research on "in-car pollution" vs "on-bike pollution" cited above is true it is much more important for car drivers to consider wearing a mask than it is for bicycle commuters.

On top of this comes all the additional beneficial factors that bike commuting produces.

Happy cycling.


Is it safe to cut off from the inside of my helmet?

Unbeknownst to many consumers, different helmet manufacturers use different molds for their helmets. Just like some shoe brands are known to be thinner or wider than other brands, some helmets are more oval, some more round, and some pointier. Even from the same manufacturer, their racing models might be different from MTB, skateboarding type, and general lines. And there might be a helmet with a vent hole in exactly the right place out there.

It's important to find a helmet that fits correctly and comfortable. It might take having to go to different stores and trying different brands and types (or even to a store in a different country, if you have the opportunity).

That being said, through, if it were my head and I had to decide between a helmet that was partially shaved to fit -- or a larger helmet with some extra padding to fit; I would choose the latter. The helmet manufacturers provide extra padding pads of varying thickness in the box because they know they can't produce a helmet that fits perfectly on everyone's head. As long as the helmet is snug on your head and not uncomfortable, you should be good to go. Remember that many cyclists wear beanies in the winter and cycling caps in the summer under their helmets -- something that is well known to the helmet manufacturers.

Remember the worst helmet is the helmet you don't wear.


Definitely a freewheel, and a brand new one too.  I can only see the 6 sided axle nut, and no axle locknut.

Some designs have the cone nut buried deep inside the freewheel and then a spacer, and finally another nut on the outside, something like this:

Is it possible you replaced a 6 speed freewheel with a 7 speed freewheel, which is one cog wider?  This may require rebalancing the spacers on the axle.  You might be able to move a spacer from the left to the right side, and still have the required amount of axle body poking out.

Do note that a QR axle should end before it exits the frame - the QR's nut should be clamping on the frame not on the end of the axle.   If in doubt, get it checked over in person.


I failed to replace my chain at the proper interval. Will I have to replace my whole drivetrain?

Yes - after that mileage you will need both a new chain and new cassette.
A new chain on the old cassette will not mesh right, and accelerate wear on the new chain.
Depending how much chain elongation has accrued, you may need new chainrings too.  They wear slower because more teeth are engaged in the chain.  Look at the chainring and see if the scallops are asymmetric, which is worn.  You can also wrap the new chain around the teeth firmly, and look for gaps between chain and chainring.
There's also a chance you may need new jockey wheels in the derailleur, though these are only guides and not load bearing so tend to last a very long time.
It would not hurt to replace the gear cables too - they're a relatively minor cost, and a complete fresh set will make it all feel even better.   You should also deep-clean both derailleurs, and lube the shifters while its all apart.


How to pump this bicycle tire with this pump?

Do it like this:

Remove (unscrew) the plastic (?) cap over the Presta valve - if it is there (sometimes it may have already been removed).
Unscrew the small knurled knob at the end of the Presta valve (the bit sticking out of the tire) as far as it will go.
Press down on the end of the knob a couple of times (momentarily - for less than a second), to loosen the valve in its stem - you should hear air escaping.
Screw on the adapter (as you have done in your third photo).
Push the lever on the pump head flush with the body of the pump head (as in your first photo).
Push the hole in the pump head firmly down over the adapter and flick the lever out 90 degrees (as shown in your second photo).
Pump.......
Flick lever in, remove pump-head, unscrew adaptor, screw in knurled knob.
Ride.......


Conversion to single speed: crankset specs?

You'll obviously want to select the appropriate chainring size and crank arm length.
Cranks have a specific chainline (the nominal distance from the chain to the mid-line of the frame). The required chainline is affected by the spacing of the rear wheel dropouts, i.e. a 148mm spaced disc brake MTB frame has a wider chainline than a 130mm spaced rim brake road frame.
If you want to re-use the bottom bracket you'll need a crank with a square taper interface, however there is an annoying issue with matching cranks where the axle is built into the bottom bracket (i.e. '3-piece' crank/BBs: square taper, Octalink etc.): different crank models require a specific bottom bracket axle length to achieve the correct chainline.
Normally, if you can't find a crank that requires the same length axle you have, you'll need to replace the bottom bracket along with the crank. Often, replacing the bottom bracket opens up the possibility of upgrading to a '2-piece' crank with external threaded bottom bracket bearings such as the Shimano Hollowtech II system.
If you are converting a derailleur bike to a single speed (your question is a bit ambiguous as to whether you mean a proper single speed or 'one-by' with a single chainring a derailleur/cassette in the rear) then you can play around with the position of the sprocket on the freehub body to get good chain alignment and chainline isn't important.


You may run into some compatibility issues with this frame, and should be aware of potential issues, or sure of the correct size/standard, before you buy certain parts. Just knowing that it is a Peugeot isn't enough, as they were made over several decades on different continents with different standards in different places. The wheel size will be either 27" or 700c, probably 27" if it was made for the US. That means most modern road wheels (700c) will be a bit too small (8mm), so you would either have to have a "long reach" brake to reach the braking surface or make sure you have 27" wheels. The axle spacing (wheel width) might be a bit different too, which can usually be corrected with some fiddling with cone wrenches and washers, or just calling it good it if the difference is not more than a few mm's.

As for the bottom bracket, a lot of peugeots have the less common "french thread" bottom bracket shell (there are a few different standards, "english" being the most common), meaning most new bottom brackets wouldn't fit. If you can spin the cranks and there is not a lot of resistance, and there is no noticeable play or rocking in the axle, then you probably don't need to worry about it (I would be sure to tighten down the bolts holding the crank arms on though, good practice).

I would do some research about what size wheels and bottom bracket that bike has, which you can probably just find with the serial number under the bottom bracket.

It looks like you really just need wheels! A back brake wouldn't hurt, also ...


You have one of two things happening:

Your fork is on backwards
Your frame has toe overlap.

A backwards fork should be easy to resolve.

Toe overlap is common on many frames at low speeds. If thats what it is, you'll just have to get used to it. It's not really a big deal. See this Touching the front wheel with my foot when turning for more info.


Do you change from cycling clothes when out and about

Just a matter of priorities, really. If I'm riding out to a meal, then I'll wear clothing appropriate for the meal, and choose my bike accordingly.

However if I'm out on a day's ride, I'll dress appropriate for the ride and a spare set of clothes just represents bulk. Do I really want to carry that extra weight? No way.

Third scenario, if I am away on a multi-day cycling trip, I will wear cycling gear for the day's riding, but will have a shirt and some trousers for the evening. These have to be as light as possible, as again they represent bulk in my pannier. I suppose I could get away with eating in the hotel in my lycra, it's just possibly a bit whiffy for other diners!


Try to figure out where the local racers do their training.  Ask your local bike store if they operate any training groups and if there are any racers in the group.  Go out with them on training runs to see if you can get a feel for where you stand in terms of fitness.  My LBS has rides once a week, and there are some racers that show up for that, but I don't see much of them after they leave.  I think this would be ideal, because even if you couldn't keep up, you could always hang back with the slower riders and have a good time.


Need new crankset for a 15+ year old bike [chain slipping on gears]

If you just want to go with something basic that's close to what you have, it's easy to get a replacement repair type crankset for this sort of bike. Check your tooth count, but it's probably 42/32/22, and then check the length, which is usually stamped on the inside of the arms. It will probably be either 170mm or 175mm.

The other distinguishing factor is that what you've got is a "low profile" type square taper crank, which is bike parts catalog lingo for "the arms are all bendy," as opposed to flat. They were the predominant type on 90s steel MTBs such as this. Square taper low profile cranks usually use the shorter range of bottom brackets, i.e. 115mm-ish, so if you want to re-use the existing bottom bracket, you'll likely need to get something similar.

However, that leads to the real rabbit hole: matching the bottom bracket. You want your front chainline to come out right. Different cranks use different length spindles to get to the same front chainline. Presuming the chainline is good now, and if the bottom bracket is in a condition that's worth re-using, the best way to proceed is pull off the existing cranks, measure the spindle, and get a replacement crankset that happens to take the same length according to its manufacturer specs. There's a further stipulation here that this bike could be old enough for its rear end to be a little narrower than the 135mm standard that was ubiquitous on mountain bikes from about the mid-90s on. Or not - doing this right would entail measuring. There are a lot of questions on this site about measuring chainline that can help you figure this out. Published BB numbers for the type of repair cranks you'll be looking at will be to give a modern front chainline of about 47.5mm, so if your target front chainline number is different for any reason then you'll have to compensate in how you interpret the listed spindle length.

If the existing bottom bracket is fairly worn and you think this bike is going to start being ridden again, replacing it with a decent cheap new one like a Shimano BB-UN26 probably makes sense because they're so cheap. If you want this to be a minimal cost repair, then do the above.

All that said, if you just search around for "42/32/22 square taper crank" you'll see tons of options.


There is no perfect all-rounder. Slopestyle bikes are basically dirt jump bikes with the suspension designed to soak the harshest of impacts. This suspension design was never thought to behave like a normal bike suspesnsion, that used to "even rough trails". Typically slopestyle riders put a lot of pressure in their air shocks to prevent bottoming out.

Now, I'm not sure what do you mean by "something I can use on trails while being playful enough to commute on the street (and jumping on stuff)". Do you have some dirt jumps or nice skateparks around you, so you could use your DJ bike to its full potential? Or maybe you want to ride most of the time your local MTB trails and add some manuals and bunnyhops here and there? You should be honest with yourself, no normal trail bike will be suitable for average dirt jumping (it will be practically impossible to do a barspin or a tailwhip, and plush suspension will swallow all pumping rhythm), as no 100% DJ/slopestyle will be suitable for a fun round on normal MTB trail (imagine doing off-camber turn with an almost rigid bike, or pedaling 30 km + with a frame sized two sizes below your regular). Either choose one, or both.

To summarize, I would recommend you learn to manual and bunnyhop on your SJ, then pay a visit to local DJ / skatepark and try to get some airtime and learn some basic DJ tricks (whips, tables). If you'll have the feeling it's fun then go ahead and buy a DJ bike. Otherwise, save your money for something else.

EDIT: looks like GMBN heard your voice and did a video on riding a slopestyle bike in a bike park. Check it, it's quite entertaining. I guess this won't leave you any doubts about slopestyle bike specialization. Click


Bike saddle position for mountain biking/jumping?

The fore and aft position of the saddle is a highly personal position. You're going to have to experiment with it to find where the saddle should be for your style of riding, terrain, your proportions and your bike. Peter White has an article on bike fitting, which may be of interest to you. The most relevant passage is:

  take the case of two riders; Rider A, and Rider B. Rider A has very
  little upper body muscle but very strong legs. Rider B is identical to
  Rider A but has been working out at Ralph's Gym and looks like a body
  builder. The fore aft position of the saddle will be slightly
  different for the two riders. The extra upper body mass of Rider B
  will require a slightly further back saddle position to give the same
  balance. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Rider B should have
  his saddle further back. He may prefer the more forward position. Only
  he knows what his preference is.

Note that for mountain biking, you also have the option of moving the saddle up and down if you install a dropper post, which can also be useful depending on your riding style, terrain, your proportions and your bike.


Should I put grease on the surfaces of a back pedal internal brake?

There is no part inside a coaster brake that can be harmed by grease.  You do need to use a high-temperature grease though, friction makes them get quite hot.


Since everything else is working, this is when I suspect hanger alignment. Where the rear derailleur bolts on to the bike, just under the quick release/axle, is a relatively fragile piece of metal. They get bent if the derailleur is bumped hard, and for that reason are often replaceable parts.

The problem is sufficiently common that there's a tool made specifically to fix it:

Those are about $AUS40 to buy, but you're not going to use it very often. Probably once. But your local bike shop will have one, and it's probably less than the cost of the tool to get them to look at the problem. Or you can buy the tool and look up how to use it (it's not hard). Without the tool you're very unlikely to improve things by trying to fake it.


Your chain needs to be long enough to move freely when it is shifted to the largest cog and the largest ring at the same time.*

To check the length, shift to these positions and move the chain by hand there. Then pull the chain together. You have to pull against the springs in the derailleur that requires a bit of force. As D. R. Hicks mentioned in the comments, the derailleur ought to be almost flat.

If you manage to do that, the chain is long enough.
If you can push up the derailleur even more, the chain is too long.
If the derailleur is nearly horizontal and does not move without a lot of force your chain is too short indeed.†

* It is not a good idea to ride an old bike cross chained that much. But one doesn't want things to break when doing this.

† This would be somewhat unusual, given the largest cog on an old bike is not all that big. Unusually long chain stays could lead to it. Some chains meant for internal hub gears and single speeds are short though. These are mostly 1/8" wide chains rather than 3/32" derailleur chains.


Clean the chain first - see this question or this question.

If the chain has a master link I like to start there just so I can keep track of which links I have lubed easier.

Usually you should shake up the lube, especially if it is a 'dry' or 'wax' formula.  Then drip 1 or 2 drops on the rollers of each link.  Lube on the outside of the chain is basically worthless unless you are applying a 'wet' lube for weather protection.  More than one or two drops on each link will be too much, and will drip a lot of lube onto the floor or ground where you are working.

Pedal the chain backwards and get every link.  When done run the chain through all the gears. Let the chain sit for a few minutes then using a clean, dry, lint-free cloth, wipe the excess from the chain, cogs and chain rings.


Recumbent with a shaft or other non-chain drive?

I've found a few mentions of bikes that made it to the rumor stage, but nothing in production. The best summary seems to be here:

  Disadvantages are:
  – high price due to need for special components
  – some loss of power when compared with a clean, well oiled chain
  – weight, that is about 1.5 kg more than a chain drive,
   (most of it caused by a heavy hub gear unit)

The core problem is that chain drives are ridiculously efficient, and bike riders care a lot about power losses. Even a cheap derailleur setup can get efficiency over 95%, and the gap between 95% and 90% is noticeable to most riders.

Note that the bike they're talking about there seems to have never made it into production - the web site is now dead. There's another "first shaft recumbent" from before that, also dead. Note that as with the all wheel drive trike when something unique breaks you have to make your own replacement parts if the manufacturer isn't around. That's not an issue for someone who's built their own bikes like Peter Eland, but for most riders it's going to mean living without that unique part.

There is a front wheel drive bike with modified hub gear that is currently (Jan 2017) available for pre-order, the KerVelo, but that bike is also heavy and aimed more at comfort than speed. Given the long history of ideas like this not making it into production I am skeptical that this one will.

A front wheel drive bike might be a better bet if you're really fussed by the long chain. Most faired speedbikes are FWD for the reasons you mention, but I suggest not trying to use that exact approach (the bikes are expensive and only work on straight roads with no wind). Those bikes exist, but generally are a small niche because they're tricky to ride. Flevobike and CruzBike are the two brands that spring to mind here. Cruzbike are still recovering from their start making awful conversion kits for uprights that never worked very well. Their from-scratch bikes might be better, I haven't ridden one. There is a dedicated community of FlevoBike enthusiasts out there. As always Atomic Zombie have their DIY take on that approach which might be a useful way to experiment with the idea.

As is so often the case, I built one and rode it enough to convince myself that I didn't want to go further than a very rough sketch. Well, ok, Megan built it and I helped:

The moving bottom bracket design makes drive very simple, at the cost of making riding more interesting. Back pedal brakes made it more tricky to get started than I expected, but at least it had brakes. With proper gearing they can be quite rideable.

Side note on design

Bicycles experience ridiculous torque at the bottom bracket. Mid-size car levels of torque (but at much lower rpm). That's why BB axles are such heavy, rigid parts. Extending that BB axle to become a shaft drive is tricky.

With shaft drives there are two broad options: have a thin, light shaft spinning fast, or a heavier shaft transmitting more torque at lower speed. The thinner, lighter shaft means gearing up a lot at the cranks, then down at the back wheel, and precision bearings to keep friction down for that shaft. But that long, thin shaft is fragile. Making it a bigger, hollow shaft is hard because you really want it inside the frame, or underneath it, and either option is mechanically complex and every gearing step adds friction.

It also needs to be completely enclosed because bearing seals would add too much friction. It can be done, but it's cheaper and easier to gear up less and have a stronger shaft spinning more slowly. Normally shafts are sealed but the enclosure means the shaft diameter has to be smaller than the enclosure, and since the total size is limited that means the higher torque option is required.

I have ridden a 2WD MTB with a flex shaft drive, and there was significant shaft wind-up under load. That meant that front wheel drive really only kicked in once the rear wheel slipped a bit which was disconcerting. There was also noticeable power loss from the flex shaft. The bike seems to have disappeared, so apparently other people didn't like it either.


Lower Gearing for Ultegra 11-speed setup

A few options:

You can use a wolftooth roadlink.
You could also move to a sub-compact crankset. There seem to be a few
options for 46/30 cranks, nothing direct from shimano though.

You don't have to resort to a triple.


Why are road bikes (not time trial bikes) used in many triathlons?

The OP linked 4 videos, the first 2 videos were  long-course Ironman races, where time trial (TT) bikes were used, while the latter 2 videos were of short-course draft legal races where road bikes were used. In the latter two videos the competitors were either pros or elite amateurs. These individuals typically have multiple bikes and would be using a TT bike if it was the right tool.

Originally, all triathlons used to have a no-drafting policy, which made optimizing your personal aerodynamics critical.  Hence the rise of TT bikes in the early history of triathlons.

Relatively recently drafting has been made legal in many short track triathlons, making TT bikes both dangerous and not suitable for the format.  When you have drafting you essentially have a road race, which a road bike is the right tool.  Quick handling is key as you need to be able to maneuver and keep your front wheel within 2-6 inches of the bike you are drafting in order to get the full draft effect.  You also need to be able to accelerate, brake, and change direction quickly to close gaps and respond to group dynamics. Groups can at times move incredibly fast, 65 kph on the flat is not uncommon for pros or elites.

In contrast, Ironman events still have no-drafting rules in place making TT bikes the right tool as its about individual riders against the wind and not responses to group dynamics.

  NOTE: the answer is intended to address the races explicitly highlighted by the OP, not all world wide triathlon events, nor the large array of amateur races where participants may be balancing a number of  considerations (e.g., cost).


What are my options for replacing a Shimano Hollowtech II BB?

There are a number of options for replacing a Hollowtech II BB (whilst still retaining the Shimano cranks). The Deore bb is a cheap bb, higher Shimano levels should last better. Anecdotally I've heard premium Bb's last years while it's not unusual to use a Shimano BB a season.

The options are:

Shimano - Shimano has a number of different levels. BB51 deore level, BB70 SLX/XT and BB93 XTR
Other similar brands - Raceface X-type is compatible
Premium brands - Hope, Chris King and others
Hacks - replacing and upgrading the bearings while retaining the Shimano cups.

If you kill many bottom bearings it's good to understand why and address this. Water retention in the shell is a big issue if you ride in wet areas as is washing the grease out with a pressure washer. There are Bb's that have water drains built into the cups for drainage or you can drill a hole in your Bb shell if this is a real issue for you. Sealed bearings offer better water protection.

End of the day it's really a value choice, if you go through a lot of Bbs you should consider a premium one.


Were the 1970s bikes from Motoconfort the same as those from Motobecane?

She's such a cutie.

Motoconfort is absolutely not a ripoff or a knockoff from a Motobécane. For some time there was an overlap between the brands until the mid 70s but the factories were the same.

So to tell it shortly, if it's a Motoconfort Le Champion it's exactly the same bike as a Motobécane Le Champion even in terms of factory equipments or frame quality.

She's real as they come, and that's coming from a Motobécane hardcore lover that owns five of them (even the tiny but heavy foldable one).


The fastest way is to use tubeless plugs - bacon strips or worms. They are also used to plug holes in automobile and motorcycle tyres.

(source: Pro bike tool marketing pictures)
They are often sold in expensive bicycle-specific packaging, but the plugs itself can be bought much cheaper in bulk from sources directed to motorized vehicles.
The big advantage is that they are inserted from the outside, so you do not need to get the wheel off the bike. You just insert the strip (better covered by a vulcanizing glue, but follow the instructions) deep enough with a special fork and it remains stuck inside when you take the fork out. Before doing that you sometimes use another pick to prepare the hole.
The process is shown in this video:

If this is unsuccessful, try to insert another one, but you will likely have to deflate the tyre and insert an inner tube. Be careful for various old sharp objects stuck in the tyre. The sealant may have plugged their holes, but they can still puncture your inner tube.


What are my options for replacing/upgrading my MTB front mech?

Rear derailleurs don't care whats up in front and vice versa. Rear derailleurs don't care about the number of cogs in the back, but front derailleurs care about the number of chain rings (you can get a triple derailleur to play nice with a double chainring, but you should probably get the right part to begin with).

Speeds are mostly marketing though, as higher speed chains are narrower than lower speed chains (the only times speeds matter are in chain selection (too little speeds and the chain may be too fat), cassette (duh) and if you're using indexed shifters the shifters need to be matched to the speeds (and the appropriate cable pulls of the derailleurs)) - everywhere else, if the chain fits, it should work. For example, if you put an 8 speed chain in a FD designed for a 10 speed derailleur, it will probably rub but if you put a 9 speed chain in an 8 speed system, everything should be fine. However, using a "9 speed" front derailleur with an 8 speed system is fine (a 7 or 8 speed FD would work fine too). The only thing that matters is how much cable the shifters need to pull, and where the derailleur is mounted (top pull, etc.).

Things you need to check:

Cable pull (In this case, you need a Shimano mountain front derailleur, not a road FD (else, index shifting won't work). Also, top pull (though your derailleur will probably be dual pull - this is dependent how the frame was designed to pull the cable). )
Double or Triple compatibility (In this case, triple - the cages are shaped differently)
Size of largest chain ring, and gaps in sizes to other chain rings (The cages are shaped to clear the largest chain ring, so if its too big or small, the cage won't position properly for good shifting. If the gaps are too big, you'll have trouble shifting between them (If you didn't customize your chainrings, chances are you're fine).)
Mounting (Diameter of seat tube mounting point or if you have another type of mount, that. Also, top swing. If you can't mount it, you can't use it. )
Chain slope (Chainstay angle - If you have the wrong one, the chain might hit the cage no matter how you adjust it.)

All these things are specified in the data sheet for the derailleur models.

Typically, you don't need to be spendy on the front derailleur (especially if you were running acera before) - I doubt you'd gain anything from doing so, other than something slightly prettier and a bit lighter of a wallet. Chances are that getting the FD set up properly (good cable routing, cables in good condition, positioning and adjustments done properly) even if its a cheap one (which I do suggest, the Shimano Tourney) is a better spend of money than just slapping an expensive FD like a Deore one on.

A cheap option is a Shimano Tourney front derailleur. This is what I'd probably go for provided your crankset is within spec, but you can choose any "7 speed", "8 speed" or "9 speed" Shimano mountain bike derailleur which is top swing, dual/bottom pull which fits the appropriate criteria above. You can probably run into your LBS and get them to give you the right Tourney FD for under 15 dollars. They may have a 7, 8 or 9 speed Alivio/Acera one laying around at the same price as well, so you could grab that instead.

Sheldon Brown, as usual, has a better description than I do.

What is the model of the Acera FD you have right now, and what is your crankset?


Is riding on hilly road better than flats for long distance training?

Better? Don’t know. Useful? Yes.

One way you can use the hills to your advantage is to get your heart rate up. A good workout could be 4 minutes riding hard, then 3 minutes recovery, repeated 4-5 times. Riding hard means getting your heart rate up pretty high (171-180 for me) and this happens naturally and more consistently when you’re riding up hill. It’s also straightforward to do on the turbo.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17414804/

Maybe you can find a route with a few medium size hills that take a few minutes to climb, or ride up and down the same hill.

If you warm up riding gently for 15-20 minutes before and warm down for 15 mins after, for example, then you’re likely to cover around 20km in around one hour.

Of course it is still necessary to do a long ride every week for the training adaptations and to practise nutrition strategy, building up the distance weekly.


How exactly are pedals attached to crank arms?

Like Daniel Hicks says, they are threaded opposite to each other. This ensures the act of you pedaling is constantly tightening them both. If they were both the usual right hand threads then the left pedal would eventually unscrew and fall off.

So, if you're like me and use the right hand rule to constantly assess which direction you should be turning things to make them move in the direction you want, you'll now need to switch to the "left hand rule" for the left hand pedal.


19 inch frame MTB Issues for a guy standing 6 feet 3 inches tall

Ok tried the following things and the result is truly greatly comfortable.

450mm seat post.
117mm stem raiser.

Additionally I adjusted the saddle so that it's a bit more in front rather than far behind. Went for a 5 mile ride and absolutely loved it. Felt like I was riding a brand new bike ! Below is
Increased stem and seat post

UPDATE : The comfort level has increased so much in the past 3 weeks, that I already crossed more than 200miles on the bike :)


If you watch the Tektro video you will see that some fluid leaks from the bottom bleed port threads as the new fluid is injected.

If all the fluid is leaking out, then that might indicate a blockage. You may just be getting more leakage than expected because you have to refill the entire system.

The fully retracted piston should not be blocking the system.


How can I raise my handlebars when there are no spacers above the stem?

One or more of the three options

Change the stem to one with an angle, with such a short stem height gain will be limited.
Replace the bars with a riser bar, these will give up to 40mm, maybe more of you shop around
A stem extender (proviso -  not on a carbon steerer).

Presuming no carbon parts (bars, stem or steerer), replacing these is well within the capabilities of of anyone who is moderately DIY capable with basic tools (Hex keys should be all you need).


What is the Optimal Tightness for Learning to Ride with SPD Pedals?

My preference is to start with the pedals wound right back so your feet fall out if you even think about unclipping. But from my experience of novices most people will fall off at least once due to being clipped in. Regardless of how loose the pedals are.

After a week or so, or when the learner starts complaining that they're unclipping unexpectedly, I crank the tension up to normal levels. I'm not a fan of any kind of gradual change. I do err a little on the loose side while they work out what tension they prefer, but not in a smooth change fashion. It's a step to "firmly fixed" in one hit.

I suspect it's more dangerous to have the tension too tight - at some point anyone will be unable to unclip without damaging themselves - your ankles are not particularly good with twisting forces.

What I did find when I was learning was that there are time when I twist my feet in the pedals without realising it, so I was unclipping unexpectedly not because of pedalling force per se, but through half unclipping then pedalling. If you're off the saddle and throwing the bike around a bit, you may well have been pulling sideways out of the pedal. Don't do that :)


Alternatives to cycling shoes for touring with big/wide feet

There have been related questions (1, 2) before. You might want to refer to those threads for ideas.
What I suggested in a previous thread was custom cycling shoes, which are very expensive, but should fit perfectly. There are a few companies that make these.


I have got 29er tires and I want to upgrade to 29 plus

Factors that decide whether or not a certain tire width fill be compatible with your bicycle are many. This applies to any transition that keeps the tire diameter (29 → 29+, 27.5 → 27.5+, 26 → 26+). The most important, in my opinion, are the following.

Your frame and fork clearances should allow wider tires. Both in increased width and height. Typically, bicycle vendors designate if a bike is "plus" compatible. If not, the risk is high that no tires designated as 29+ will fit in a 29 frame. In such case, you'd better consider switching to 27.5+ wheels if you are firm to go plus.
Your rim width. There are limits to how wide/narrow a rim can be to accept a given tire width. Here's ERTRO guidelines, copied from here:

Having a too wide or too narrow rim would result in a suboptimal performance or even straight unstable wheel. Another picture from 1:

Actual tire dimensions when installed on a given rim may differ from what's designated on it. There are a lot of reports online that a 2.6" tire actually measures closer to 2.7" or even 2.8". The same applies to non-plus tires: a 2.1" can sometimes be 2.25" when installed on a wider rim. Knobs can add to width and create problems with clearance. I recommend either playing it safe and taking a narrower "plus" or finding an online review with actual measurements of chosen tire applicable to your situation.

Other factors are less deciding. Inner tubes should be fine. There might be some extra muscle effort needed if you install tubeless-ready tires on a regular rim (or was it the other way around? cannot remember).

If your fork does not accept wider tires, you can change the fork. If it is the frame that has too narrow rear wheel clearance, changing it equals practically to obtaining a new bike. Getting new wider wheels is easier, because you'll then have two pairs of nice wheels. Some people use 27.5+ wheels on 29-ers, but if bike geometry is not an empty sound for you, you might consider doing some calculations before going that way.


What is the potential danger of riding bicycle with cracked chainstay and how to fix it?

The frame isn’t safe for using anywhere.

The potential danger is that the stay will break most likely locking up the back wheel. It might be merely inconvenient or it might be fatal taken in combination with speed or traffic.

A possible reason for the crack is inappropriate use of the frame e.g jumps, crash damage or it might just be an old cheap Walmart frame which has fatigued.

The frame seems to be alloy from the lack of rust in the fracture. It can’t be fixed within the scope of the bikes probable value. The presence of V brakes and a stamped metal derailleur indicates a low end bike.

Salvage parts if you want and transfer to a not broken frame or just purchase a whole new one. The cost balance on that task will depend on whether you have bike fixing skills and tools or whether you need to take it to a bike shop.

Seriously, don’t use this bike as it is right now.


ParkTool CC-2 chain checker incorrect readings

Your high CC-2 reading likely relates to how much pressure are applying. The CC-2 device is not particularly solid and its readings are sensitive to how much pressure you apply to the pivoting gauge.

From the manual:

  Instructions

  Set pivoting gauge so “0” is visible in viewing window.
  Lower CC-2 so fixed pin rests between chain’s inner plates.
  Lightly push pivoting gauge just until it stops. Forcing gauge will damage the CC-2’s pins, resulting in inaccurate measurements.

I also have moved to measuring chain stretch via Vernier calipers, however my approach differs from yours as I try to mimic the cc-2 type inner measurement but with more precision (see below for methods). According to my calibration chart your L1 measurement suggests a chain stretch of 0.4%, which seems like a lot for 600 km, but not impossible. I would try repeating your L1 measurement a couple more times to be sure. Either way, you will likely need to change your chain soon.

Using Vernier Calipers To Measure Chain Stretch

Because you are also attempting to use Vernier calipers to estimate chain wear I thought I would share a method I derived for using Vernier calipers. I decided to follow the same method as the Park tools (inner measurement - your L1 approach - for 10 links) as I wanted to include wear on the bushings (as this is what the cog interacts with). As many have pointed out there is no perfect way to measure chain elongation.

  I have, over the years, struggled with this question, consulted with tool brands on the designs of chain-wear indicators, and have measured innumerable chains with many different methods. I have yet to come up with a definitive way to do it. I have ended up choosing one chain checker that I found to be the easiest to use, and I use it frequently and try to figure out its idiosyncrasies to ensure first and foremost that I replace my chain soon enough that it doesn’t fry my cogs, and secondly that I don’t replace chains too soon and throw good money down the drain by disposing of perfectly good chains.

  -- Lennard Zinn, Technical FAQ: Chain wear measurement

So my approach has been to take an approach and improve the precision so that I could use it to do things such as estimate chain wear rates and predict service dates.

Example of an inner link measurement (10 links apart)

I settled on your inner measurement approach (pictured above) and calibrate my Vernier calipers against a CC-2 device, so I could translate a linear measurement into an approximate % wear. I did this by creating a calibration regression chart converting the Vernier L1 measurement to a stretch percentage (see below).  I figured that while the CC-2 can be difficult to use consistently, it should at least be generally accurate. Note that my calibration measurements involved only a very light push on the CC-2 gauge.

Calibration

I repeated three measurements of the CC-2 gauge at the 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1% gauge readings.  I then took the average and did a simple linear regression against the gauge readings (below).

The regression estimates were then used to create the following reference table:

I believe this is a reasonably decent calibration chart as I hit 0.5% or 0.75% on the chart, the other Park Tool CC-3.2 pass/fail gauge nicely slides in at the 0.5% and 0.75% sides respectively. The conversion table is of course not perfect as some chains came with an initial stretch measurement less than 0% (i.e., the CC-2 gauge would not fit in place). As such, 0% does not represent true zero. That said, we are really interested in the 0.5% or 0.75% wear, which the chart seems to approximate well (for how Park Tools measures chain wear).

As you can see your measurement of 120mm suggests 0.4% stretch.  Typically I will measure the chain with Vernier calipers in three random places and take an average, then compare against the chart.  I also record these measurements and regress them against the current distance or duration to get a better estimate of the current wear rate, as well as projecting service intervals.

Predicting Service Life

I typically take periodic measurements over the course of the chain life in order to predict my Service date.  Below is an example for a KMC X11-SL chain.  As you can see it will be time to change the chain at about 3,250 km.  Given how much wear you have observed in 600 km you may wish to reconsider your maintenance regime or chain brand.

Wear Rates by Product Tier

You can also use this approach to compare the performance of different product tiers within a chain brand or even between brands.  Below is an example of 10 speed Shimano chains: Tiagra vs Ultegra vs XT.  Note I use duration as chains are on different bikes that travel at very different average rates of speed so I didn't think standardizing against distance would give an apples-to-apples comparison. All three give the same wear rate estimate (slope of 0.0003) which suggests this a sensible comparison approach.

The XT chain was run on a gravel bike and was in dusty conditions for most of the time. The ultegra chain was run in clean road conditions and the Tiagra on dirt (similar to the XT). More recent XT chains (not displayed) seem to have the same initial reading as the Ultegra chain so I may have lucked out with the XT chain in the plot.

It is scary how bad the Tiagra chain is, out of the box it's stretch measurement is nearly 0.5% and I would be surprised if I get 40 hours of riding out of it (less than a month commuting) if I wait to 0.75% before I change.

All three product tiers have the same wear rate (slope), but it would seem that Shimano's strategy is to have the lower priced tiers have a worse starting point so that their life is shorter.  If the lower tiers (e.g., Tiagra) had a tighter tolerance chain life would have been the same as the higher product tier, despite being constructed with "lower quality" materials as suggested by the marketing department.


Rebuild manuals seem available (see link in comments). Figure out what year the fork is and google for the appropriate document. If you can't find it contact RockShox, they should be able to provide you with what you need.

Assuming the bike has not been ridden to the point where seals etc need replacing you should be able to just do a oil change.

If you have the tools and are confident you can do what the manual describes, go for it. If you mess up you can take it to the LSB.


What are the advantages and disadvantages of different pedal formats for a recumbent?

You can add "heel slings" as a choice too.  They hold under your foot's heel.

They fit flat pedals and do not provide any cliplike retention.  Instead they are a hammoch for the back of your foot (heel) to rest in.

http://www.bentrideronline.com/?p=5131

These wire ones look uncomfortable, but shoe choice comes into it.  Prolly not good for flipflops or sandales!

http://www.jsrldesignllc.com/  and    https://tadpolerider2.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/jsrl-design-vs-terratrikes-new-heel-slings/

Terratrike sell some that are more strap and less like a garrotte-wire.


Riding my bike on empty pavement when the road is busy UK

It is illegal to ride a bicycle on pavement in UK by the law. It is covered by 1835 Highways Act and Highway Code Rule 64: "You MUST not cycle on a pavement". Penalty is £50.

But it makes common sense and cops generally put a blind eye as long as you are not doing anything dangerous. But at the end of the day it will depend on individual officer opinion.


I get that too. My bike is about three weeks old so it has Nil to do with  bike age. I remedied by using teflon chain wax / lube. May pay to see if it's the pedals or the chain / derailers are all in good nick. Sometimes when a bike has not been ridden for sometime it needs a service or at least a inspection just like a car.


How to reset my gears after the chain slips off?

Expanding on the comment by @DanielHicks, given the symptoms described, it sounds like you are talking about the shifting at the rear of the bike. Chances are that your rear derailer needs adjustment.
Hopefully you don't force the chain on the correct cog by hand - that's what the derailer is for! In any case, when you push a shift lever, it pulls or releases a set amount of cable, e.g. 2.7mm. This will move the derailer a set amount in either direction (not by the same amount of distance, but that's a long story). As they age, however, cables can stretch, and the cable housing will accumulate contamination inside. A click may not pull the cable the intended distance. You can follow the link in Daniel's comment to a guide as to how to adjust your derailer. Also, it's possible that the derailer's top and bottom limits will need adjustment - these two settings govern the range the derailer can travel, and the limits should align with the biggest and smallest cogs. You may not need to touch them if the bike was set up correctly. Anyway, wrongly adjusted cable tension will cause the chain to skip or slip as you described, or if you shift at the lever the chain may not actually make it to the correct cog.
If the chain is too badly worn, then even if the derailer is correctly adjusted, the chain will skip on some of the cogs. Unfortunately, this requires a replacement chain, and possibly a replacement cassette or freewheel. On more expensive groupsets, you should regularly check your chain for wear using a chain checker. If you replace the chain regularly when slightly worn, it will keep you from having to replace both chain and cassette. On cheaper groupsets, it can be acceptable to just let the chain and cogs wear out and change both - but this does accelerate wear on the front chainrings also. It will depend on your mileage and on your costs.
Reading the title, I initially thought you were asking to do what if your chain slipped off the front chainrings. This is likely not what you asked, but the advice here may be generally useful. Sometimes, when shifting to the little ring, you drop your chain off the inner chainring. This can be exacerbated by bumpy terrain. If this happens, you can often shift back to the big chainring and keep pedaling. The chain will often re-engage (if the front derailer was set up correctly). If you are on a steep hill and this happens, then next time you should learn to shift to the small ring earlier - this is not intended as snark, it merely is one of the many small skills we have to acquire as cyclists. Also, if the front derailer's travel limit is wrongly adjusted, this may exacerbate chain drops. Last, as you are able, learn to slightly ease off the pedals as you make a front shift. This reduces the risk of dropping a chain.
Occasionally, you may lose the chain off the big ring, to the outside. This probably means your front derailer's travel limits were wrongly adjusted, but in any case, you can sometimes recover if you shift to the inner ring and keep pedaling (i.e. the obverse of the recovery procedure for chain drop on shifting to the inner ring). Many big chainrings have a pin sticking out - that's called a chain drop pin, and it often catches a chain that falls off.


Part of the problem with new technologies is that it is difficult to have a universal standard. Also the as the technology improves things get smaller  stronger,cheaper,etc. This causes items to become obsolete quickly. In the U.S. there are several  battery specific retailers (Interstate Battery for one) that have the ability to repair or rebuild batteries packs. They open the case replace damaged or worn out cells and reassemble them. This can be a pricey purchase . My employer spent $800 U.S. for a rebuilt battery pack for a Infra-Red camera that was $14,000 when new. In that case, a worthwhile investment. Depending on how many damaged cells need replacement it it may or not be cost efficient in your case.


Why are cyclocross bikes stiff and what impact does it have on performance?

Race courses in city parks are not that bumpy.  Most racers run closer to 40 psi (on a 34 mm) but it varies.  Clincher tires to run low pressure with pinch flats is common. The bike is stiff for speed.

The Revolt 3 is not a true CX bike.  It probably came with a 35 mm. That bike will take a 50 mm.  You can safely run 50 mm at 40 psi (check the range on the tire) and get a pretty soft ride.


What are the 'easiest' ways to determine functional threshold power?

First, get 'Training and Racing w/ a Power Meter' by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan. So incredibly helpful in learning about your device.
Second, use WKO+ for analysis. I have been using it for 4 years and it is fantastic.

In reference to you question, I typically use the 20 min time trial as a good way of setting my training zones.
After a solid warm up (typically with a 5 min LT--->V02 effort) and then proper rest I do a flat 20 min TT.
I take the avg. power from that TT (not the norm. power) and multiply by .95 (or take 5% off, whatever is easiest). For example: a 300 watt average over 20 mins would indicate an FTP of 285.

What I do after that is keep an eye on my IF (intensity factor) and my TSS (training stress score). If that is all gibberish to you I would recommend getting the book!

http://www.peakscoachinggroup.com/Archivedarticles/Determining%20Your%20Lactate%20Threshold.pdf

http://home.trainingpeaks.com/power411.aspx


What tension should the front derailleur cable be when setting it up?

There's not a set, single tension that works for all bikes. It's just trial and error.

You need to pull it pretty tight before clamping it to the derailleur. Probably as tight as you can. Usually I find that's still not tight enough, so I screw the barrel adjuster down all the way before putting the cable in and then open it up until the tension is correct.

Assuming that you do in fact have everything else set up correctly: if the derailleur is rubbing on the outside of the chain, you need a little more tension. If it's rubbing on the inside, you need a little less.

Also, if you've swapped any parts out, you may be having some compatibility issues. Derailleurs have minimum and maximum chainring sizes. If you're just a smidge over or under those sizes, you're almost sure to get some rubbing.

If you can find it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to look at the owner's manual for your particular derailleur.


Wondering if my Tiagra shifters are fixable?

Fixable?  Possibly - but there will be risks, and you need to decide if the risks are worth accepting.

Downsides:

Its your brake lever - and there's a 50% chance its your front brake lever.  The front brake is the most effective brake on our bikes, because it does 90+% of the braking.  Any bending of the lever back into line will stress the metal underneath.  I can't tell what model of shimano, but there's a high chance its an aluminium (aluminum) bar and they take poorly to being flexed.
The nameplate is also a rain cover, keeping moisture and dirt out of the mechanism.  Without that, the shifting mech will get worse over time as dirt collects in the clicking parts.

Personally?  I'd keep riding it as-is (gently!) without attempting to straighten it, and I'd also start searching for a suitable replacement lever on ebay or whatever your local sources of parts are.  This way you can still ride it for now, though I would not recommend long rides or any racing or back-country rides.

If the "feel" changes, if shifting gets bad quickly, or if anything goes wrong, stop and re-evaluate right there.

If the lever broke while being straightened, then you can't ride it till a replacement is found and fitted, and there's less chance of finding a cheap/matching one - you might have to buy new which can be expensive, and you might end up with a mismatched pair of levers, which is super-irritating.

Answer Replace the lever with a known good one.  Used is fine.


I would certainly give a lot of attention to the chainring and lockring. One question that I think you need to answer is whether the lockring was loose before the incident or did the chain jamming the cog cause the lockring to come adrift. Then you need to consider whether the lockring loosened naturally, i.e. did it turn along the thread, or was it forced sideways?

Do you tend to use a rear brake? From the question I get the impression you don't. (This isn't a criticism - I don't have a rear brake on my fixed, either.)

If you use back pressure a lot when slowing and the lockring had been a little loose (when was the last time you checked it?) then it might be that that was what helped contribute to the jump - this is probably the best case for you, certainly the case with the least likelihood of damage beyond the tyre's flat spot.

If you're sure that the lockring and cog had been tight before the incident, then I would really give the threads a careful review because you might have stripped them and caused some lateral damage.

Given the jam, I would certainly be looking at the spokes: go round the wheel, both sides, just trying to gently flex each spoke, they should each hold firm; listen for creaks too. It also never hurts to pop the bike in a stand and just run the wheel round a few revolutions and watch its line - even if the spokes are all firm, you might see a little wobble.

And if you're really thorough, go over the chain and check for bent links (and while you're at it, give it a good wipe and a lube, you can't do that enough).


I have ridden with children about that weight on the back; there is no way I would consider adding more weight to the rear of the bike. If you worry about the effect of front panniers on steering, I can only presume you have experience riding uni-cycles if you are considering adding rear panniers.

An option to consider would be panniers on the rear and a child seat on the cross bar. This provides many advantages over a child seat on the back, however it requires a largish bike frame - something I did not have.


I would go to a bike shop, or take some hub you already have.

As far as I know, there are only two sizes: one for 7 and one for 8/9/10 (these are the same, just the distance between the sprockets is progressively smaller to fit).

And if your data-processing capacity and confidence are good, you can dig some info here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/cribsheet-spacing.html

and also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogset


If you really need a freewheel on each side, that both drive the wheel forward, then you would need a custom built hub with a left hand freewheel thread on the left hand side, and you'd need to build a left hand freewheel too.

If you just needed a freewheel on the right hand side, just use a single speed bike rear hub.

You would of course need a custom fork for either as rear hubs are wider that front hubs.


Crosswind effect on an aerodynamic front wheel vs a rear wheel

The short answer is that a deep front rim will almost always affect handling more than a deep rear rim. The exact answer depends, as you surmised, on windspeed and yaw angle; however, it also depends on the design and geometry of the bike and the rims in question. For Tri or TT bikes where the rider is positioned maximally forward (or, under UCI regulations, the saddle tip is minimally 5 cm behind the bottom bracket), under moderate wind conditions a deeper rear rim tends to improve the bike's handling compared to a normal shallow box rim. This is not an absolute, however -- for very gusty winds at high yaw angles and very deep or disk wheels, handling can suffer. This is why rear disk wheels (though not deep rear rims) are prohibited on the windy Ironman Kona course. Wheel manufacturers have been spending a great deal of effort in recent years improving the performance of deep rim and disk wheels under non-zero yaw conditions.


What kind of bike is this, found in basement

Starting with the last picture first...

According to Google translate "velos" is French for Bicycle. "Sport" is probably a model.
The picture also shows Mafac Racer center pull brakes - Mafac is a French company

On the middle picture - Bocama BCM is a type of lug used to build frames. Here's a catalog. The catalog is in French.

The first picture is so dark it's hard to tell much about the bike. From what little I can see it looks to be equipped like a 1970s era low end Peugeot.
Without more clues this is as much as I can find.

Value - it's worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The only way to judge value is to sell the bike and see what people are ready to pay.
As a bike geek I love seeing these bikes and the history they represent but that does not translate into actual dollars.


Are there mechanical advantages and disadvantages of various front derailleur styles?

Touring → fenders. So, you need enough space for the rear fender. That's why a bottom-pull design is preferred.
Most of the touring bikes designed to use this type of derailleurs.
About high clamp/low clamp/braze on — this is frame-specific.


Carbon wheels will have a different sound die to handling vibrations differently than aluminum. Has nothing to do with aerodynamics.


Making my children's bike trailer more comfortable

A comfortable solution we used was to use a sort of hammock for our son. The model of trailer we have is a Croozer Kid, which offers a hammock that fits it frame.

The hammock is attached to the top bar of the trailer, the front bar and the back bar. The third link to the back bar is needed to reduce bouncing. In between this triangle you can then span your fabric, with two soft bars on the side. In the hammock is a 5-point harness to strap the kids safe and tight. Below is a picture of the commercial model


Anti-sieze is a corrosion preventer.

It is not a lubricant. Generally, using it on threaded parts is acceptable, but using it on bearing races, bearings, pressfit installation points, seatposts, handlebar stems, etc... is not a good idea.

There is no hard and fast rule, but if you think about the purpose of the "lubricant" on the specific part, you should be able to make a good judgement.

i.e. "Do I need lubrication for this part to move smoothly and work efficiently? If so, I should use grease."

or

"Do I need lubrication for this part to so that it is not stuck in the frame later? If so, I could use anti-sieze."


Which tires should I buy for an old road bike?

It depends on how you intend to use the bike. If you're intending to race, you'll probably want something lightweight and very grippy. If you're commuting or touring you should tend towards the durable end of the tire spectrum

With a nice steel frame like that you'll get lots of comfort, so it seems to "fit" with putting wider, comfortable, durable tires on it.

A wider tire is more comfortable with the only disadvantage being that it is a bit heavier.

If the bike originally had 28mm tires, I would expect it to take 25-35mm with no problem, but check the rims for any other indication.

The two you've listed don't have a great reputation for durability, so it may be worth investing a little more for something that will last longer and save you the frustration of punctures.

Consider Continental Gatorskins or Schwalbe Marathons. Both are more expensive, but offer good puncture protection which, in the long run, shortens your journey time more than a few grams of weight saving.


Can you mount GRX FC-RX600 110/80 chainrings on a Tiagra 4700 chainset?

No.
The Tiagra FC-4700 crankset has 110mm bolt circle diameter (BCD). The 30 teeth chainring of the GRX FC-RX600 has a 80mm BCD. It’s a “sub-compact” or “super compact” crankset compared to the “compact” Tiagra.
The larger 46 teeth chainring has a 110mm BCD and might fit on the Tiagra, but then you can just get the Tiagra chainring.


What's the deal/appeal with loud MTB hubs?

As the other answer indicated its more about the quality of hub than sound. It just so happens that many higher end hubs have a more distinct click to them. This is present for multiple reasons. The spring tension on the pawls tends to be higher than cheap mass produced hubs, letting them "snap" down onto the step for instant engagement. They are also more finely machined than standard entry level components allowing very fine tolerances and clean crisp operation.

The materials used can sometimes effect this as well but the alloys 6061 and 7075 are common in higher end hubs. Steel would have less of an audible click as it would muffle it some and generally steel hubs are not the same quality.

With that said there are silent hubs, generally used for police bikes so that they can be a little sneakier when rolling up on a perpetrator. There are also high end hubs that make less than standard amounts of noise.

I also think a big part of why people are drawn to them is the fact that it makes them feel like they have something nice, sense a lot of people now a days do associate it with higher end hubs.

The only real benefit relating solely to the sound i can think of would be for mixed trail use where it may help alert others to the fact you're barrelling toward them.


Anyone have Open Bars or similar on a Surly Cross Check or Straggler?

I spent some time on a century ride with a guy who had porteur bars on his cross check.  They certainly did not seem to slow him down or make him uncomfortable.  The Cross Check (full disclosure I do not have one) is the Swiss Army Knife of bikes.  I say go for it... ride it for a season and if it is not your thing re-configure that ultimately configurable rig.


Shimano Acera Shifters - How to remove gear cable

On the outside of the shifter (where the levers are) there should be a single screw. Put the deraileur in the first gear (the gear with the least tension) and remove the screw. Then simply push the cable out.


Consultation needed! To repair or throw out?

Based on the photos you might not need any parts at all.
The chain looks pretty awful, and is likely siezed up, but a good clean is required to see if it needs replacing. I've had some ugly chains that were perfectly functional.
Brake pads is a common age item too - they get hard with age and braking performance suffers.  But pad replacements are cheap and easy.
Tyres and tubes can be affected by age, so inspect closely, and if they hold air pressure overnight you're probably good.
Grips can get tacky and feel awful, from UV.  Replacements are cheap, or you can simply wrap them in tape temporarily.
Saddles age and can attract tears, but tend to last mostly okay.  They're more expensive too.
As for the frame and mechanicals, the functionality is more important than its looks.
Folding bikes are also more useful and flexible than regular bikes.
Answer REPAIR simple at first, and see if there are any show-stoppers like frame damage.   Given you have two, its more likely to be a case of throwaway because too lazy, rather than both having the same terminal fault.


Are there Dynamo powered, rear flashing lights?

I have an Origin rear light and I've seen that it can be charged via usb and also have the lights on  at the same time. If you want to have it powered by a Dynamo, what you could do is have the Dynamo connected to it the whole time on the bike and be lighting at the same time. That could be a way to pull it off and never have to take it off. Also, if you have daylight, the lights could be off and charging so you can use it when the night comes. Good luck.


Cheap carbon-fiber handlebar from Hong Kong. Will it break?

Maybe.

A lot of (all?) pricey carbon stuff is made is made in the far east, and much of it in the same factories with the same moulds.

What you're paying for is accountability really. When you buy a pricey carbon widget you're moving the responsibility of making sure it's ok from you and onto them.

Any company with a valuable reputation is certain to have invested at least some time and effort into design, testing, insurance, etc.


How should I route the front derailleur cable on a bike without lugs or guides?

Either Adam's suggestion or this:

If you're going with a very recent FD, like all the Shimano toggle ones and many mountain FDs in general, a lot of them have integrated stops also, so you could do the same sort of routing. Some not super recent mountain FDs have stops for full housing too. If it would play nice with whatever you're building the bike back up with, one of those options plus a bolt-on housing stop as pictured is the cleanest-looking match with what you've got, although it does have the downside that upwards opening housings are bad news in general because they invite water contamination. Most functional would be adding a nylon BB guide as you say, although not very aesthetic since having a top mounted chainstay stop marries you to the RD cable guide you've got.

I believe there have been a handful of old front derailleurs with weirdo integrated cable guides that reach all the way down. To my awareness these are all super low end, and I wasn't able to find a picture. I don't know much about Dawes but I doubt this what it came with, and it's likely not worth pursuing now.


Looking for a 40 (or 48 hole) 126mm rear freewheel hub with cartridge bearings

I believe that freehubs became mainstream long enough before cartridge bearings became the default for hubs such that I think the only cartridge-bearing rear hubs you'll find with a threaded interface will be for singlespeed freewheels or fixed sprockets, and none will have 126mm OLD width.

Since it sounds like you are a utilitarian (rather than leisure) cyclist, the best value for money would be to sell the nice 6-speed blocks to vintage enthusiasts and get a cassette hub with cartridge bearings. Cassettes start from 7-speed, but if you're using an unindexed shifter you should be fine.


Timing Yourself To Determine Gear Ratio/Torque

The gear ratio is simply the ratio of the number of teeth on the two cogs. If you can see the gears, you can compute it by counting the teeth and dividing. If you can't see the gears (e.g., an IGH), just measure how many times the rear wheel turns for one turn of the pedals (or, for more accuracy, do ten turns of the pedals and divide the answer by ten).

Time trials would be a terrible way to compute the gear ratio since there are so many uncontrolled variables and confounding factors. For example, a higher gear ratio would potentially give you a higher top speed but it would take you longer to get there.

It's not clear to me why you think that computing the gear ratio is important.


How can I keep my bike safe in my garage?

Try a floor or Wall anchor system, then lock the bike to that.

http://lockitt.com/lockdown.htm


Front derailleur is not a particularly important component to optimise, in my opinion, since it only touches the chain when being operated (assuming it is correctly set up so the chain doesn't rub). I doubt Shimano sells any derailleurs that don't "do the job" of shifting gears, so at worst the shifting in the front will be a bit worse and the components will weigh a bit more.

You can also switch the derailleur later, and especially the front ones are not particularly expensive (in fact both of the ones you mentioned are such low-end ones that it would make little sense to buy either separately).

So, choose the bike that has the nicest frame, fit, and feel for you. Replace individual components later if you are not happy with some of them.


Assuming you're measuring accurately, you can use this table from Sheldon Brown or this table from Schwalbe.

The (inner) rim width is measured this way:

(Source: Schwalbe)

and for a 13 mm width, 18-25 mm tires and for 15 mm width, 23-32 mm tires. So, So, a 14 mm width (assuming you're measuring properly) should be fine with 28 mm tires; you can exceed the recomendations by a bit usually without adverse effects.


As everyone above points out, you'll pay double or triple to upgrade piecemeal.  Save up buy a whole bike.  Used if you have to.

The two items that I would consider are NOT on your list:

If you are at the upper limit of your seat height, you might consider getting a longer seat post.  It's hard to pedal if you're not getting good leg extension.  (The frame is probably also too short for your torso+arms, but the legs matter more.)
Clipless pedals and shoes.  Your feet will thank you.  Plus, you can carry them forward to your next bike.

You can also upgrade tires once these wear out.


Do Carbon Wheels Stay True Longer Than Aluminum Wheels?

I give you the following, that you can read here:

  Talking to Jason Marsh the mechanic of Greg Minaar 2012 DH World Cup
  Champion about ENVE DH rims (which are carbon), he said that, ”Once
  you have built them, you don’t need to do anything, the spokes remain
  tight and they don’t need truing and we use a lot less through the
  year as they are stronger…”

The user in this forum reports long carbon wheel use with no need for truing, and DTSwiss also recommends the same maintenance interval for carbon and aluminium rims regarding checking if the wheels are true, which is an hint to them being similar.

The main problem with carbon, and this is also true for carbon components in general, is that despite being stronger than aluminium it is also more rigid, which means they don't respond as well to sharp impacts. Think of it as a steel vs an aluminium nail: the first one bends easily but holds the structure, while the steel one is very tough but breaks all of a sudden.

This is also said in this interview with a pro bike mechanic, that says carbon wheels are faster because you can maintain your direction better (more rigid), but have overall less durable because in an accident or impact they are more likely to require substitution. He even says that it is normal for costumers to try both types and prefer aluminum due to their compliancy and comfort.

Getting back to your question, I would say that due to the compliancy and flexibility of aluminium they hold dents and impacts better, as these are just killers for carbon rims. As the mechanic in the interview says, to which I agree, Carbon wheels are an expensive luxury. I personally would easily buy carbon components for my bike with the exception of the wheels, as these components in particular are very likely to have to sustain high impacts due to low tyre pressure, trying to go up a sidewalk or a bad measured bunny hop. We have all been there :)

Edit: You guys are right, I just threw it here :( I will try to improve.


The core problem is that you need the thread on the bottom bracket axle to attach the new crank, and that will have probably been damaged by your welding. If you can get the bolt out after unwelding, it might be possible to keep the current BB.

If your BB is this style, you might be able to cut the crank off, leaving enough of the bolt to weld on a small arm that will allow you to twist it out of the BB shaft. I would make cuts like this diagram, depending on which crank is affected - the one with the spider and chainrings is more tricky. I think you're trying for two things. First, if you can cut the weld and then cut the crank so it comes off the bike you win. If not, cutting it so you can remove the bolt then slide the crank off is also a win. Cutting into the axle means you lose, so the cuts shown try to avoid that. The middle diagram is supposed to be a sketch of a side view showing my guess as to how you'll need to cut the bolt head & weld off. Assuming you didn't just fill the whole bolt cavity with molten metal... in which case you're probably overheated the BB axle and you lose.

If you're unlucky you will have welded the bolt or crank to the shaft of the BB, and in that case you lose - you need a new BB as well as a new crank.

You will do much better with a 100mm/4" cutting disk (or bigger) than trying to do this with a Dremel or similar "rotary tool". I wouyld also use a thick cutting disk (3mm or 1/8") rather than a thin one, because you are likely to stress the disk a bit with the fiddly angles. But a 200mm/8" grinder is probably too big.

Also, try to mount the crank solidly - if you get the bike frame horizontal you should be able to put the non-welded crank into a a vice. That way the bit you're cutting is fixed, even if the bike can move a little around it.

Edit: seeing the new pictures, it looks as though you have an older style bottom bracket that has nuts rather than bolts. Like the one below:

That means you have welded the threaded part of the bottom bracket axle, so that is now junk. Since you need a new bottom bracket, like Suspended User says just cut the shaft (on the red arrow below) and bin the parts. Get a new crankset and matching BB, plus the tools to install them.


Lock my bicycle on busy or quiet places?

It is all subjective, but I would say that a public place is better (as I have previously answered to a similar question).

Most bike thefts are opportunistic; unless you've got an especially desirable bike the theft is not about your bike, it's about stealing any bike. So the key is to reducing the opportunity to steal your bike:

as you point out, reducing the amount of time to work on the lock(s)
make it less desirable and more identifiable (dirt, scuffs, mods)
give alternatives - parking next to a shiny newer more expensive looking one with a poorer lock

I would also say to try to use a public bike rack - then you've also got a chance that a fellow cyclist would interrupt or at least deter a thief. Several times I've seen someone suspicious loitering around a bike rack when locking/unlocking my bike and I've taken longer about it so as to make them feel uncomfortable and move on. I don't want my bike nicked and spending a few minutes to maybe slightly protect someone else's makes me feel like a good citizen.


What happened to the Specialized Stumpjumper HT?

Ultimately Specialized has probably decided that the sales volume is not worth it. A new Epic HT will almost certainly have better trail and downhill capability as a Stumpy of even a few years ago, be lighter and have much better climbing.  Its not that they would not sell any HT Stumpy's if they had them- its more they can move a vast majority potential HT Stumpy buyers to a HT Epic or a soft tail Stumpy. The lost sales not having it in the range would be very minimal.

Keeping hold of a HT Trail (the stumpy) - for which there is no longer big demand that cannot be met buy a salesman diverting to another model, does not make sense as the range of bikes is probably too large already, with too much overlap.

The Stumpy goes back to early 1990s (or is it earlier) - and has undergone numerous transitions. Its just a name - the bikes you like are nothing like the ones in the shop today.


Really doubt it.  27 is 630 iso and 700 is 622 iso.
SheldonBrownTireSizing


The derailleur specs you have to consider are:

Max sprocket size
Min sprocket size
Total tooth capacity

If you want to go to a 11-28 cassette from 14-30, max sprocket size is ok. 11 tooth min sprocket may be too small. Capacity is also increased by 1.

11-28 may work but 12-28 is safer.

6, 7 and 8 speed systems use the same sprocket spacing and progressively wider stacks of sprockets. The other thing you will need to check is the lateral range if both the derailleur and shifter. It may not be enough to cover 7 sprockets.


In my experience it is usually the derailleur hanger that gets bent. After all derailleur hangers are built to be the weakest point so that in case something hits the derailleur neither the frame nor the derailleur is damaged. The hanger is just a 15$ part.

There is a derailleur hanger alignment gauge, which bike shops use to check whether the hanger is bent:

http://www.parktool.com/product/derailleur-hanger-alignment-gauge-dag-2

One can even use this tool to bent the hanger back if it is only slightly offset. If you ask nicely and come with the derailleur unscrewed your lbs should check that for free, it only takes 2-3 minutes.

If the hanger is ok then the derailleur might indeed be bent. But the first thing to check is the hanger.

(All this advice under the precondition that the derailleur was correctly mounted, adjusted and only matching components have been used (no 10 speed shifter on a 9 speed drivetrain, no different generations in the parts, only compatible SRAM/Shimano mixup, etc.)


BB386EVO-24mm Press Fit Bottom Bracket Cup Removal

I've have good experience with the BBT-30.4:

That seems a lot more likely to be properly aligned when it's whacked with a hammer to remove the bearings than the BBT-90.3.
It's also a bit cheaper, if not exactly inexpensive.


Tire pressure with latex tubes: higher, lower, the same?

I don't think your pressure should change based on tube material.

Raising pressure just means that you're subtracting out whatever benefit you're getting from latex.
Lowering pressure doesn't make sense because latex tubes are just as susceptible to pinch-flats as butyl tubes.

There are different schools of thought on what the "right" pressure is, regardless of tube material:

Use the highest pressure the tire is rated for, to maximize performance. I think this has been thoroughly debunked.
Use a pressure that gives you a certain "drop" (vertical deformation). The figure I've seen is 15% drop, which I think was first proposed by Frank Berto. This was thought to be a decent compromise between performance and comfort.
Use the lowest pressure that will avoid a pinch-flat, to maximize comfort.


2x front derailleur shifting adjustment for BB92 shell

I don't have enough 'reputation' to add a comment, but +1 on 'mikes' comment about the derailleur being too high. If the derailleur is a bolt-on (hard to tell from pix), maybe the bike was designed for a larger big chainring?

Also, if the limit screws are all the all the way out, you might have to pre-load the derailleur travel a bit before tightening down the cable clamp.


Well, the seat tube is definitely 25.4" (thanks for the help, Criggie): I've bought one that seems to fit. I still don't know what the stamped text means, but I guess it doesn't matter.


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. (IMO)

lighter wheels will reduce the rotating mass (rotational inertia); you will need less energy to make the wheels accelerate/decelerate.
higher quality bearings in the hub will reduce friction.
better aerodynamics in the rim and spokes (less energy needed to cut through air)

IMO, In the end it all matters to weight.

If you are doing serious cycling (i.e. keeping time, strava segments, ... ) it might be a good upgrade; but if you are a little less serious about it, maybe just an expensive christmas gift to self. :-)


It is hard to tell, but it is most likely one of these (assuming you have a cassette and free hub system):

The cassette and chain needs to be replaced.  This can happen when either a tooth is bent on the cassette or the chain and cassette teeth are not lined up.
The free hub body needs to be serviced or even replaced.  This can happen when the springs in the ratching mechanism are not pushing down into the teeth that gives you the bite.

For both of these, you would require special tools to remove the cassette and possibly the free hub body.


does anyone still make competitive chromoly frames for road biking?

The best place to start would be all-city:
http://www.allcitycycles.com/bikes/space_horse

or Lemonde as a second option:
https://lemond.cc/#!/bicycles


Severe juddering causing movement in the fork when braking is unlikely to be because of the pads or rotors. I would recommend checking the tightness of your headset immediately. Even if the bolt doesn't seem loose while you're adjusting it, tighten it up a bit anyway, then take it for a ride to see if it solves your issue.


Sorry to hear about your bike...

Titanium anti seize is what you need. Park Tool makes one and you can usually find other brands of anti seize for a bit less at an automotive parts store but you may end up with a lifetime supply as bikes use very little.


Why are bicycle tubing diameters often metric approximations of imperial measurements?

The decimal sizes such as 25.4 and 28.6mm are not "unusual" sizes. They are actually the standard sizes. You can count on engineers to do the easy and cheap thing, so they use the standard sizes. "Standard metric size" tubing (that would presumably be sizes in a round number of millimeters like 25mm or 30mm) is not really a thing in the world of chromoly tubing, and doesn't practically exist.
The reason the standard tubing sizes are not a "round" number of millimeters is, of course, historical.
Chromoly tubing is not just used for bicycles, and it wasn't invented just for bicycles.  According to Wikipedia, it was invented in 1885 and commercialized around 1891. Chromoly tubing was used extensively to build airplanes (and still is for some small airplanes) because it was strong and light enough to displace wood construction, which standard steel was not. The standard tubing sizes were based on inch measurements, because it was commercialized in a country and an era where inch-based measurements were the standard. And these sizes are still the standard sizes today...they were simply re-named to metric by calling 1-inch tubes 25.4mm, 1 1/8" tubes 28.6mm, etc.
If you shop at a chromoly tubing supplier such as Aircraft Spruce or Wick's Aircraft Supply you will find that chromemoly tubing is available in sizes from 1/4" up to 2+ inches, typically in increments in 1/8-inch. This is plenty of choice of sizes for any engineering need. At the small end of the scale, there are also 5/16 and 7/16" tubes available just in case a 1/8-inch jump is too much. These are the only size tubes available. There are no commonly available tubes in "round" metric millimeters.
When countries began the switch from inches to millimeters, it would be possible to start using 25.0mm tubes instead of 25.4-inch tubes. But then you would have to change all of the tube-making factory machines, all the building fixtures for building things, and all the pre-existing airplane and bicycle designs in the world, and even make new lugs for bikes. Even today, there is no justification for doing that just so that we can all have the small aesthetic benefit of looking at "prettier" round number of 25.0 instead of 25.4. Before widespread metrification, there was even less incentive to do it because 1-inch was actually the more standard way of measuring things anyway.


Converting my Raleigh Equipe to a single speed: Can I use a conversion kit?

No, you have a freewheel and the conversion kit you have bough is for a freehub. The freehub you have linked to will not fit your freewheel.

I don't know if you can get freewheel kits with spacing.  Most freewheel kits I have seen have the cog close the hub flange - the chain line would be wrong on your wheel.


It's not clear why you would want to use an 11-42 cassette in a 3x drivetrain. 11-42 cassettes are typically used with 1x or 2x systems. With a 22 tooth chainring and 34 tooth sprocket you already have a pretty low gear ratio (0.65) - lower than a typical 1x drivetrain with a 30 tooth chainring and 11-42 cassette (0.71), and only a little higher than a 2x 36 tooth small chainring and 11-42 cassette (0.62).
Just to give you a definitive answer on compatibility: the two derailleur specs you need to know about are the max cassette sprocket size and the total capacity. Max sprocket sizes is obvious, total capacity is the ability of the derailleur to take up slack chain and needs to be greater than or equal to (difference in largest/smallest sprocket size) + (difference in largest/smallest chainring size). Your current setup requires capacity of (34-11)+(44-22) = 45.
You can find Shimano specs here: https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/, in the archive PDF spec sheets. The M592 SGS has max sprocket of 36, total capacity of 45 - which obviously precludes a larger range cassette.
If you used a Alivio 2x9 crank with 36-22 rings and a 11-42 cassette the capacity requirement would be (42-11)+(36-22) = 45, but your derailleur still can't handle a max cassette sprocket over 36 teeth. (Although, I've heard of people successfully using a derailleur hanger extension to accommodate a large range cassette.)


If the shell is aluminum and we're talking about the whole thing and not just the bearing races, the literal answer is flat out no, because aluminum doesn't have a fatigue limit. It will crack eventually.

As to the question of can a hub bearing race, real or hypothetical, last literally forever in any kind of use, that's the kind of question everyone likes speculating about but I think you need a bearing engineer to begin answering, so I'll say I don't know.

In practical terms the answer is most cups/cones with enough preventative overhauling can be made to last a very, very long time, much longer than they normally do. In my experience for a nicer hub with very hard, precisely made races it's more or less indefinitely. I've tried to keep more modest hubs going the same way and wound up wearing them out despite my best efforts, but I'm heavy and ride where it's wet.

There's a side conversation about using ball bearings whose hardness is a good match for the races, which is a topic usually glossed over in bike shops. I don't know the details but I've come to suspect it can matter quite a bit in the long-term lifespan of a hub.

How much flex the axle is experiencing is also a pretty major factor over time.

All freewheeling mechanisms wear out eventually as far as I know.


How to clean out the inside threads of a braze-on?

I use Q-tips and a degreaser (WD40 or similar will work).  Spray on, wipe off.  Soaking helps cut hard to remove grime.


I'm shopping for a child trailer. Should I get one with suspension?

I have a trailer with suspension, but I don't believe it has provided much benefit while cycling.  Mine is multi-use (jogger, stroller, ski) and I have found it has provided some benefit while hiking.

On the cycling side of things, most of the time I am pulling the trailer with a rigid bike (no suspension).  I am riding with 5 weight bearing contact points while my kiddos are riding with a full body contact area and no need to maintain control (which is what suspension is designed for).  When they were younger, my trailer had an infant sling that kept them fully suspended (similar to a hammock).  Now that they are old enough and large enough, they sit in the trailer proper and receive what I perceive to be very little benefit from the suspension while I receive the extra benefit of pulling it's weight.

I have been very grateful for the suspension on a few hiking trips when taking them down a rock garden.  However, the vast majority of the time, cycling, I'd prefer to not be towing the extra weight.


Wear on rim brakes can be reduced by washing your bike to remove grit from the wheels, and by cleaning out the cleaning grooves in your brake pads.

You can also increase braking effect by sitting up as much as possible, so your body acts as an airbrake.  This will reduce the braking effort required by your rims.

Are there any routes with perhaps a greater distance but lower elevation changes?

Remember, no braking on the turns.  You need to drop your velocity before hitting the corner, then drift through the corner.  Braking on the turn makes you more likely to loose traction.


Which bottom bracket do I need to replace crank on a Trek FX 7.1?

Assuming that you own the 2012 model, your bottom bracket should be a Shimano M171, according to the Trek Archives.

Found a Shimano Technical document that says you should have a 68mm thread width.


From the picture, and what you describe, the tire is wider than the rim. This means that if you like to run the brake shoes close the rim that you'll be unable to remove the tire without having to find some way to "lengthen" the cable. There are three common options that I know of:

A release lever on the brakes. It appears that you have one. I think that is what the silver lever on the left side of the photo is (near the brake cable). If you lift up on it, the brakes should relax enabling you to remove the wheel.
Some brake levers will have a button to release cable tension. My Tektro levers do, My Shimano levers don't.
There may be a barrel adjuster screw on the brakes or levers someplace. The primary purpose of this is to let you tune the length of the cable, but it will also give you a way to release some cable tension (if they are screwed out some). Not ideal, but better than unscrewing the cable clamp.


Is there any advantage to preparing the tire bead with sealant during installation on the rim

The soap and the sealant do not have the same purpose.

The purpose of the soapy solution is to lubricate so the tire better pops (seats) onto the bead.
For some tires it is hard to get them on the bead (especially with a hand pump).

From there the sealant in the tires is used to seal.

Stans has some good videos
StansHelpCenter

tireinflatingtips

  Use soap and water to help the tire bead seat.

  Do not add sealant until you’ve successfully been able to seat the
  tire.

I get the thought of have some sealant on bead.
But I will go with getting the best seat (soapy solution).
And that is what stans recommends.

Other tricks are:
Shake the tires to disperse the sealant.
Lay on each side for 12 hours.
Run em up to 40 PSI and be sure they hold for 24 hours.
Some tires suck up a lot of sealant - you may need to add sealant.


Chain line adjustment when replacing triple crankset with single

Assuming the chainline is spot on as it is now, you could remove the inner and middle chainrings, and place your 48t outer ring in the middle ring position. This will most likely require new chainring bolts intended for single ring use (they are shorter).
This will only work if the middle and outer ring share the same bolt circle diameter - BCD (most triple cranks work like that, but I've come across a few where the inner and middle rings both had a smaller BCD than the outer ring.)

If above solution doesnt provide the chainline you want, you could replace the bottom bracket. Shimano makes a cheap and (in my experience) reliable bottom bracket for square taper interface: The BB-UN26. It comes in various spindle lengths and for both 68mm and 73mm shells.


Project idea: Upgrade old MTB to road groupset for commuter?

V brakes and mechanical MTB discs aren't compatible with normal road levers. You'll need either V-brake specific drop bar levers or cantilever brakes.
Road cranks have narrower chainline and larger chainrings and MTB chainstays are wider. You may run into compatibility issues here, too.
You probably won't be using the highest gears anyway, since Marathons or Gatorskins have huge rolling resistance compared to proper road tires
Fast, potholes and rack don't fit together. Get a messenger bag or backpack instead.
Drop bars and road components aren't going to make you that much faster. The most difference is in ergonomics.

What I would do would be MTB groupset with road cassette, V-brake compatible levers and bar end shifters.


Can I use a gas station air pump on a bike tire?

The answer, in short is: Can you? In some cases, yes. Should you? In most cases, no.

The long answer: The reason you can sometimes use an automotive air-pump on a bicycle tire/tube is because they share an identical valve. (See: Schrader valve/Schrader tube in the Terminology Index). If you have this type, you will definitely be able to get air into your tubes in a pinch. However, air hoses from gas stations are usually unregulated, high-pressure & high-volume, and lack a pressure gauge. Therefore, it is much easier to over-inflate and even blow out your bicycle tire, if you were to use one.

An investment in a bicycle pump is one of the best you can make as a cyclist. Not only will it get you out of situations like this, but it will make it easier to keep your tires at the recommended pressure rating, which in turn will make it easier for you to be a more efficient (read: faster) bicyclist.


is biking lower wacker drive in Chicago a good/feasable idea?

Answer (tl;dr)  Find another route.

I checked around using google street view to get the image in the question.  Some observations...

There are no cyclists visible anywhere.  There are also no motorcyclists I noticed.
The lighting is poor and patchy
Many of the vehicles travelling the lower deck do not have lights on.
The road surface is patchy and potholed
There are a lot of unforgiving kerbs and concrete barriers
The signage disagrees with itself (speed limit is 30 mph and 20 mph just along)
Access ramps are just as cycle-unfriendly as the lanes.
Plenty of cover if someone wanted to lurk in the dark and accost a hapless cyclist.
Culture of bogans, chavs, yobbery and dangerous driving later at night.

Street View has a real problem following the level - it pops you between levels on the same road, which leads to the point that there is an upper and a lower deck, that both follow the same course.  Why would you confine yourself to the narrow dark and dingy lower deck?

The one advantage of the lower road is if its raining, you'll be covered for some of our journey.  However the cars will also be wet, making for slipperier roads and dirtier road spray.  The driver's vision will also be obscured to some degree, lowering your safety just as much if you were in the open.

This idiot has recorded a ride on the lower deck.  He's giving all cyclists a bad name with his riding style, and I see no lights at all.

Other Routes
This PDF has some useful info  http://chicagocompletestreets.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016-Chicago-Bike-Map.pdf

Here's a snip showing just the whacker drive area.  Franklin, Wells, Dearborn and State are all north/south roads with some kind of bike space.  Washington, Lake (?) and Harrison are all east/west roads with some bike considerations.  You've got some options.

Supporting Links

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-lower-wacker-drag-racing-met-20150717-story.html