most shimano derailleurs will do, as long as you keep them "9-speed" and below. See also the biggest table here (the biggest table with the 1.7 derailleur ratio).

Make sure your replacement has at least the tooth capacity you have / you plan to use (big chainring + biggest sprocket wheel - smallest chainring - smallest sprocket wheel)

Do not replace the shifter with one for a different amount of gears, as that is the part that determines how far the derailleur will travel per gear change.


Can I use Cube Analog 29" as touring bike?

Didn't look at the 2015 model (just your link - 2016 model).  On the rear there are rack bosses that can be used to mount a conventional rear rack. The rear brake is also on the lower stay which will keep it out of the way when mounting a rack (good news). There are however no such bosses on a suspension fork so you will need a more specialized rack (e.g., old man mountain) that uses clamps in place of bosses, if you want a front rack.

Once you have racks installed you will need to also purchase panniers (bags that securely mount to racks).  Or if you are especially creative you may find other ways to to secure regular bags (don't underestimate the difficulty, panniers will generally work much better).

As for fenders, this will depend on the fenders(full, partial, metal, plastic, etc) and tires you want to use, your final clearances and your ingenuity as you don't have any dedicated fender eyelets left once you mount the rear rack.  If you don't have a lot of experience coming up with solutions for fitting fenders you may need to seek help.

Alternate Answer

As a completely alternate answer that indirectly address your original question...

you may also want to consider frame bags.  These require no racks and mount directly to the frame, handle bars and seat post.

There are lots of tutorials available on the internet, here is one from Adventure Cyclist


I think this hip pain is an indication of fatique, which will diminish through ptactice.

I experienced this once.

I had been cycling for more than 20 years and was skillful with out-of-saddle ride.  I did this every now and then for say less than 1 km for fun.

Last September I challenged myself to a total of 10 km climbs (8 discontinous climbs stretched over 36 km) out of saddle. The gradients varied from 5 to 10.

The following morning my hip joints hurt.  Then I realized it was fatigue.

After a week I rode the same route again to test.  This time there was no more fatigue.

I think practise and rest and practise, and the pain will go.  My experience.


upgrade from MF-TZ21 to 7 Speed cassette freehub

Pretty sure that the MF series has the freewheel integrated with the cassette, so if you are going to a "pure" cassette, you will need to replace the freewheel and possibly the hub.  You would need to replace the hub if you can't find a conversion to a non-integrated freewheel for your current hub.
If the hub gets replaced, that could affect the disk as well.  Does your current disk have an ISO 6 bolt pattern, or something else like Shimano's centerlock?  If it's an ISO 6 bolt, you should not need a new disk with a new hub, assuming you get a hub with an ISO 6 bolt pattern.


Can I use a 1x10 wide range cassette with Shimano SL-BS79 bar end shifters?

One thing you could do is use a Microshift Advent 9 rear derailleur. You could even get the clutch one. They're 9-speed Shimano compatible, which means they use the same actuation ratio expected by a 10-speed road shifter - there are many questions here about this. The Microshift mountain compatible bar ends are another path, but having worked on tons of bikes with them, I just don't like them all that much - the lever motion is sloppy and indeterminate, especially compared to the Shimano one you've got, plus you're buying an RD anyway.


Shimano chainring / crankset compatibility

The answer is yes you could replace your crank set with the FC-2303 but you would have to change your bottom bracket also. Look up the Shimano tech docs for these cranksets, all the information you need is there as well as the steps you take to change the bottom bracket.

The triple ring crankset is the FC-3304 with a 45mm chain line using a 118mm octalink bottom bracket.

The FC-2303 is the triple ring crankset which also has a 45mm chain line but uses a 113mm square taper bottom bracket.

So alongside the crank extractor you will need a bottom bracket tool. I got a crank extractor and a BB tool for about $10 NZD each. To change a rear cassette you will need a lock ring nut which will fit your rear cassette.

I shop at Chain Reaction Cycles which ships from the UK and is cheap and reliable with fast shipping. They sell components and tools at good rates with ok shipping rates.


Clacking noise as right crank goes 'over the top' once per revolution

It's always difficult to diagnose noise descriptions, especially in the drivetrain.  But guessing by the:

  ... the bottom bracket moves without any resistance ... more noticeable on the lower gears ...

I would say the rear hub's freehub is damaged.  Pop it off the hub body and inspect where the pawls are (mind the pawl springs don't ping out!), look for broken pawls and/or mashed ratchet teeth (the teeth which the pawls engage with).  Post some pictures of it if you are unsure.


Does this chainring need to be replaced?

Presumably with 12K+ km, and never having bought new chain rings, you have a very high cadence.  You should get a new chain every time you change your cassette, btw.

If you are doing the work yourself, I don't see any reason to change the chain ring immediately.  Try the new cassette and chain and see how it works.  If it isn't broke, don't fix it. If it doesn't ride well after changing the first set of parts then yes, change it.

On the other hand, if you are taking it to a shop and paying for the work, it's probably worth having them put on a new chain ring while they've got it in the stand.  A good shop will test ride it and be able to tell you if it is needed before you buy.

12K is a lot of distance for the equipment, so I wouldn't hesitate to change it either way.


It's silly, but with the saddle down so that he is able to push himself forward with the feet, ask him to pretend he's running on low gravity, trying to go as far as possible between steps.

On doing this, he can/could/should lean the bike a bit left when he puts left foot on ground, and lean the bike right when right foot is down.

The "secret" is trying to find and maintain the "sweet spot" when the bike is perfectly upright, and at this spot learn to manage the handlebar to keep balance, while the legs would probably be a bit spread and close to the ground.

This should be done on a flat, smooth surface, so the bike could keep going even at low speeds.

Besides that, I think braking should be learned BEFORE pedalling, so the next step would be to stop the bike, then just reduce speed, and THEN pedal with no foot on ground anymore.

I have never tried this, but I think it's how I'd like to be taught if that were the case :o)

Hope this helps.


What is a Q-LOC axle? Is it compatible with Quick Release?

It appers that Q-LOC is the name SR SunTour gives to  through-hole axes, such as this one. In this question, the advantages are explained. They are not compatible with traditional QR, because of the difference in the diameter.


What is the crank length on a Shimano Deore XT?

For that frame size, most likely 170mm, but you can measure from the centre of the pedal spindle to the centre of the BB:

A popular online bike shop lists available crank lengths of 165, 170, 175, and 180. Presumably if you buy the bike "ready built" it will come with cranks chosen to match the frame size. But 165mm cranks are relatively rare outside of track / fixed gear circles. 170 and 175 are pretty ubiquitous.


What is must-have gear for mountain biking?

For long rides of 1-3 hours, I carry the following:

Tube + mini pump (CO^2 if you want, tire leavers for new or difficult tires)
Mini tool with allen keys, spoke key and a chain tool
Water
Snack

For longer trips, you'll want to consider panniers (carry bags) and a hydration pack so you'll be able to carry the load more effectively. In general, advice on backpacking trips should apply.


Is it possible to use BMX steerer (stem+handlebars) on fork on folding bicycle?

There may be a compatibility problem with the BMX stem with the top bearing of the headset that would prevent it clamping the headset properly, however, I strongly suspect that the BMX bars would be far to low to be safe, and that's why thw bike mechanics wont touch it.


Are there any mini pumps that can be mounted on a wide rectangular frame?

There are mini pump holders that attach directly to bottle cage mount points under the cage, and hold the pump to one side of the bottle. I have one that has long slots for the cage bolts that allow the holder to be mounted further away from the centerline of the frame and accommodate wide tubes.

You can also try mounting your pump holder on the seat tube or top tube.


If it were mine I wouldn't ride. It appears there is a crack connecting the two holes. This would indicate there has been enough flex to cause the frame to crack.


How do I determine parts for my bike and where to source them (new)?

You should look your bike up online, you should be able to find a stats page that will give you some general specs.  The shops I have been in do not have a "manual" per se of what frames conform to which standards.  It's generally done through experience and visual confirmation/measurement of the bike in front of them.

Derailleur hangers are generally purchased from the manufacturer, but there are some aftermarket ones that will fit specific models of bike.

Bike shops buy parts from a wholesaler (like QBP or J&B).  Most wholesalers won't deal with an individual unless you have a storefront (business) and $X amount of insurance.  You can find businesses online (Colorado Cyclist, Bike Nashbar, Performance Bike) that sell parts online, but realistically you are probably better off buying from your LBS and developing a relationship with them.  Oftentimes, the prices at your LBS will be similar to online without the shipping.

Derailleur hangers are one of the few things that are manufacturer specific.  Most other parts conform to some standard and your average mechanic or shop rat will be able to look at your bike and determine what type you need.


What do I do with this during SR suntour lower leg service?

[Based on the exploded diagram it looks like each side of the fork is a little different:

Side 1 ("air side" composed of parts 5a, 5b, and 5c) looks most like your picture.
Side 2 (composed of parts 3a and 3b)looks most like what you were expecting.

This video at 2:17 shows a fork end that matches the picture in the question

You'd use a wrench on that side rather than an allen wrench.


While proper cyclocross bikes typically do not have front suspension, you can find a few drop-bar bikes that do have it.  The Cannondale Slate is one: http://www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Bike/ProductDetail?Id=4a8a930f-c1de-422f-bf23-81d13da8c706

These bikes are usually called "adventure bikes."  While most adventure bikes still don't have suspension, the term may help you narrow your search.

You may find that a good quality, wide front tire is enough suspension.  Any drop-bar bike with clearance for tires at least 40mm wide should be useful here.  This opens your options up to a much bigger slice of the adventure bike market.


What's the correct position to assemble eliptic (Biopace, Rotor, etc) chainrings?

IIRC, there are at least 3 conflicting theories:

The rings should be oriented to extract the maximum energy from the most powerful part of the stroke (from roughly 3-oclock to 6-oclock, viewed from the right).
The rings should be oriented to maintain a (relatively) constant forward force/velocity, despite the change in leg force through the rotation.
The rings should be oriented to maintain "smooth" leg motion.  (Whatever that means.)

(1) would have the largest diameter parallel to the cranks, (2) at right angles, (3) somewhere else.

Update:  I have 1 and 2 backwards -- see jae's answer on that point.


The spoke most likely to "pop" would be one of the other two in the triplet as they have to take more of the strain (making up for the loose one). If your wheel is still true, just tighten the nipple of the loose spoke until it sounds the same as the others. Do it gradually while checking this is not affecting the wheel trueness.


What tricks do you use to avoid damaging cables when adjusting the gears?

I put the cable in, find a length that's 'approximate enough', and crimp the cable end onto the cable before I clamp it into the derailleur. This will prevent the end from fraying, like you say, and becoming difficult to deal with. It will get flattened under the derailleur clamp, but this can't be avoided.

If you don't crimp the end in first (or leaving it long is another way, but it doesn't always work), then you will have to deal with the frayed cable and sometimes need to wind it back together to get it into the cable end.


The front one is Dunlop and the rear one is Presta. The rear rim is drilled for Schrader valve, which is thicker than Presta. I don't know the reason for this, but I suspect that whoever put the bike together just used the parts that were at hand without any planning.


Metal strand lining protruding from ends of shifter housing

It looks like you have 4mm housing put into ferrules designed for 5mm housing. The black plastic ones should be the right ones.


Remove cables.
Remove bar tape.
Roll back lever covers to reveal clamp bolts
Loosen bolts and slide off bars.
Follow instructions included with the new levers (these should in effect be a well written reversal of steps 1-4.)


I've had some problems with the nuts that hold the chainring onto the crank coming loose, so I'm wondering whether that's the source of the noise.

It is very likely. It often requires a special tool to tighten firmly, but tightening it will either eliminate a "creak candidate" ... or the noise itself :)


Is there a distinct look for contaminated disc brake pads?

I had the same problem with my Magura MT5 4-piston brakes. Since I am using sintered brake pads, I literally "torched the hell out of 'em".
I first soaked them in IPA (Rubbing alcohol >70% ABV). After placing them on a surface that won't be damaged by direct contact with fire, like a steel tray or even a brick, I lit the alcohol-soaked brake pads and watched as they burnt until the alcohol was totally burnt away.
Then using a medium-fine sandpaper (in this instance 240-grit) I sanded off the superficial layer of material leaving a lighter colored layer of braking surface. The oil has been totally burnt off. This will not work for organic/resin or semi-metallic brake pads. These variants do not deal with such extreme heat as well as sintered pads. It will ruin them.
I then cleaned the caliper with a pressure washer from a distance of about a foot-and-a-half, occasionally dousing with a highly concentrated Dawn solution like 50:50 water and soap. Only a small amount is needed (an ounce [30ml] or so). Using a fine pipe cleaner will help get any contaminants out of the caliper too. This prevents any contamination in the near future.
I then pressure washed my rotors too. After doing this, I soaked a coarse cotton cloth, like an old towel, in the alcohol solution and scrubbed my rotors free of any contaminants. It's amazing how much gunk is hiding invisibly on your rotors.
I then reassembled everything and bedded in my pads and discs. This is very important as you've removed all of the bedding from the pads and discs during the cleaning process. This is what I did to salvage my brakes from an, otherwise, dangerous contamination of my brakes. Hope it helps you.


I think the shop was right - it’s just the pads moving around in the caliper. The creak occurs when the rotor is moving extremely slowly (like in this case), and the clunk is the sound of the pads hitting either end of the caliper AND whatever fork play you have AND whatever headset play you have. Try pulling on the brake really really hard and see if that makes a noise still.


You can try this suggestion:

press your brake lever and keep it there using a zip cord (cable tie)
position your bike so that the hydraulic tube runs upward and so the brake lever is at the highest point
leave it that way overnight.  In the morning try the brakes out.

This technique is supposed to allow trapped air to move upward into the reservoir again.  This worked for me:)

I saw this idea on YouTube, thanks to GMBN for this clip


San Francisco Bay Trail: current map of completed/proposed routes

Your first link is to the site that runs the trails and they have a trail map.
baytrail.org/baytrailmap


How do I determine current value of a used bicycle?

eBay is a good tool for determining value, search for your item selecting closed auctions and you often get a list of your item, bike in this case that has already sold (or not).  The price of those transactions helps me determine relative value.

Likewise craigslist shows you another view of what people are asking.  If your target bike is being listed for less or more than your deal, you have more information.  Sometimes you have to search outside your area to get a few hits, especially if your target bike is popular and scarce.

Some other things to consider, is the person a 'dealer or private person who sells a lot of bikes'? Or, is it a person selling their own or a friend's bike? If possible, take the bike to your bike shop/mechanic and have them look it over.  Just because it shifts right today does not mean the drive train is not worn out.  Example, my Trek Nav looks like new, rides like a dream, but has 1500 miles on it and I'm pretty sure it needs a chain, cassette and who knows what else.

Good luck!


How to find track/Keirin races when travelling?

List of upcoming keirin races:
http://keirin.jp/pc/raceschedule

List of velodromes in Japan:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Velodromes_in_Japan and http://keirin.jp/pc/jyolist

If you need help translating the page, Google Chrome's auto-translation is pretty good.


Does it matter if I let my brakes drain when when taking system apart?

I think this is mostly a problem in the bottom of the calipers where a hose becomes a reservoir filled with fluid, and perhaps that can get air in there. What I have done in situations like this is to make sure a block is in the caliper and squeeze the brakes a few times before opening the ports to bleed. My theory is that will do it's best to fill the fluid into the air pockets and get the air to come to the top. Of course, it's hard to see inside the actual line so hard to know. Bleeding from the caliper then gets the air out of the line. It's worked for me and given non-squishy levers in the past.


Expected chainline from 103 mm bottom bracket to 107 mm bottom bracket?

I agree with @Mac that you may not be able to tell the difference between 103 and 107. If your current 103mm is in good shape, why not buy the new crankset and try it on the old bottom bracket? Evaluate the chainline. If it's good, you are done. If the (front) chainring is too far inboard, buy the 107mm bottom bracket.


Road tubeless generally should have tighter tolerances but there is no single standard so the target measurement may differ between manufacturers leading to potentially problematic rim/tire combination. Furthermore, tubeless systems that are designed to be run at high pressure (i.e., road) require beads that stretch very little, otherwise bead could become dislodged under pressure leading to a catastrophic deflation event. The rigid bead can further exacerbate issues associated with  tire/rim mismatches.

That said, most tubeless compatible rims will also have a deep center channel, which is intended to be used when mounting the tire and when removing the tire.  Once you have the bead in the center channel this should give you slack to get part of the bead over the rim.

When removing a tubeless tire go around the rim dislodging the bead into the channel.  You will often hear a load "thwack" as you dislodge the bead into the channel due to the release of tension caused by the tight high fit needed for an air tight seal. This is the critical step that may require a reasonable amount of hand strength. As you work around the wheel also check on areas you have already dislodged into the channel as the bead can work its way back out of the channel and back to the bead seat.

Once all of the beads on both sides of the tire are in the channel you should have enough slack to get a tire lever under the bead and to dislodge the bead over the rim.  You may need a second lever, one to hold a dislodged bead in place, the second to continue dislodging more tire bead over the rim.

If the tire starts becomes incredibly tight while dislodging the bead, check that the remaining tire bead is properly nested in the channel  and has not worked its way out of the channel.

Finally, if you are running tubeless tires on a non-tubeless rim, older varieties of rim (i.e., more than 5-10 years) may have no or an insufficiently deep center channel for the easy mounting/dismounting of tubeless  tires. In this case I would suggest forgoing the tubeless tire and sticking to regular clincher tires, most manufacturers still offer both construction types.


Please help me identify the specifics on my older Giant Sedona?

This is a 1996 Giant Sedona. I had this exact bike, right down to the color.
The frame is 4130 cro mo and the tubes are 'triple butted'. If you notice the top tube and down tube are flared at the joints.  The was the 'external butting' and they were also butted for tube wall thickness internally.
The groupset was entirely shimano STX, which, at the price point (about $600 CAD at the time) represented an amazing value.  7 speed rapid-fire shifters, panaracer smoke and dart tires, non descript black quill stem, giant branded aluminum bar, saddle and grips (which were thin and hard, but after a while I got so used to them that any other grips felt mushy).
I can't recall the rim manufacturer and model, but they were 36 spoke....a great bike, and if you still have it, I'd be tempted to offer to buy it, strictly for nostalgic purposes....


You are reducing the minimum length of chain required by 1 link. (i.e. 22 teeth vs 21 teeth on the front chainring.)

Unless the initial chain sizing was overly generous, you should not notice any significant difference in that small a chainring size change. Since you can only remove 2 links, not just the one link you are changing, you are likely already in
the appropriate zone for chain length.


Stiff knee, can I use a shorter crank on one side?

Seems like a reasonable idea. Two things to consider:

Can you get a crank shorter enough to make a difference? Common crank lengths are 170, 172.5 and 175mm. (measured from crank axle center to pedal axle center). Shorter lengths are also available for some cranks, in 2.5mm increments.

I think you would have to do some experiments and measurements. Say you went from a 172.5mm crank (the most common length) to a 168.5mm one. That would allow you to drop the seat 5mm and keep the same amount of knee flexion. Is that enough to enable you to touch the ground safely?

Crank availability. I looked at a few pictures of the Claud Butler Explorer. Models at least a few years old seemed to have a 3-piece crank with a square taper axle-crank interface. That's good as the square taper is an old standard, so used but perfectly serviceable cranks are available, new ones are inexpensive also. The left are right cranks do not have to match, so you can use any that you can find in the right length.

Square taper cranks need a special tool to get off, but a good local bike shop can do it for you.


Going from 7 Speed Cassette to 8 Speed Cassette

Dura-Ace 6/7/8-speed used different cable pull ratios from other models. To get your shifter to work properly with your DX rear derailleur you may have to try alternate cable routing. As always, Sheldon has the details: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/dura-ace.html


First Road Bike - Some Options and Issues

Tires can make a significant different in terms of comfort, especially on uneven roads.  If you're comparing two different bikes, ask what is the largest tire that either one can handle.

I used to have a road bike where some 25mm tires rubbed on the front derailleur clamp (a tire labelled "25mm" is not always 25mm wide). With that bike I didn't have a choice - 25mm or 23mm tires was all I could use.  Those narrow tires require high pressure and are uncomfortable.

Now I have a cyclocross bike that can use tires up to 40mm, and I'm currently running 35mm Schwalbe Kojak tires. It rolls as fast as any other road bike (I ride with a group, and coasting downhill behind other bikes, I can see that my bike isn't slower). But most of the impact and vibration from the road surface is absorbed by the tires.

There are some road bikes, such as the Specialized Diverge and the Norco Search, that work with tires up to 32mm (with fenders) or 35mm (without fenders).  These are sometimes called "gravel bikes", intended to be rideable on gravel roads.  Obviously they also work very well on paved roads.

You don't have to use wide tires -- but it's good to have the choice. You can try it out and see if you like it.

If you're comparing specs, you probably want the following, based on what you stated as your goals in your question:

greater tire clearance
longer chainstays (results in tire clearance)
greater vertical distance between bottom bracket and handlebars


The video shows a broken hub. It should be impossible under all circumstances for the hub shell to move relative to the rotor. I can't tell from your pictures but I'm guessing that what's happening here is it's some kind of multi-piece shell as opposed to the shell being one piece, and the interface has failed.


Where can I ride Paris-Roubaix style cobbles in the UK?

In all seriousness the only places I can think of where I've seen cobbles would be town centres. If you do a search on Google Images there are some stories dated 2013 which have images of the cobbled Market Place in Beverley - ironically the story there is that the council wanted to tear them up for health and safety reasons.

I'm pretty sure I once rode through a town in Dorset which had cobbles - I forget exactly where (possibly Wimborne Minster) but again it was a town centre.

Contrast that to what you see in Paris-Roubaix. Those cobbles appear to have once been vast thoroughfares through the countryside - they have got to be Napoleonic in origin, a way of getting his troops from A to B. That story about Beverley dates the cobbles to 175 years, so roughly the same ballpark, so I'm sure if you travelled back in time far enough you'd find such roads in the UK.

I suspect road building policy has a lot to do with it too - France is twice as big as the UK so possibly in France they just decided to build brand new roads from scratch, taking a slightly different route, and to allow the old roads to decay to what we see today. Maybe in the UK they took the approach that, to save space, they dug up the old road and replaced it with new, following the same route.


Cross tires that work on street and trail

There are many, i can't recommend one because that is not what the site is for.. However look for one with micro knobby center and more aggressive shoulder knobs. Something that when going straight on pavement will offer low rolling resistance but has plenty of bite in the corners. Many brands make them.

One other approach would be to decide which is more important or more frequent for you and lean more towards that style of tire. For example if you are more concerned with riding trails and not so much with the extra effort they will require on pavement then go for something knobby but densely spaced such as something like this:

or this

Or if you are more concerned with smooth rolling on concrete but want a little bite on the random occasion go for something more like this with a smoother center.

or this


It's normal for a new wheel that was under-tensioned, unevenly tensioned, inadequately stress-relieved or whose spokes are twisted.

Either that or it's being abused - ie. if you're really throwing it around, or are carrying heavy loads on the 24-hole version.

The repeated re-truing may end up with a decent wheel, since you're just performing the stress-relieving step while riding instead of in the workshop. It may equally damage the wheel before you get there, and you really shouldn't have to pay to fix a bad build.


BB height when change 29er wheel to 27.5 wheel

The change in rim size will drop the bike 19mm. 29" are ISO 622, 27.5 are ISO 584. (622-584)/2 = 19. If you run larger tires on the new wheels that difference will be less.

We cannot say what effect a fork change will have unless we know what the crown to axle distance of the two forks is. Knowing the travel (120 vs. 140mm) does not tell us anything about fork length.

Be careful if you are considering a different fork length as it will of course change the steering geometry of the bike.

Update based on new data ...

Yes, those numbers add together, however, 3.3mm difference in fork length is negligible. The fork sag will be much bigger.

A drop of 20mm BB height from 330 to (approx) 310 is only 6%. Balance that against whatever benefit you are trying to get from smaller wheels.


Proper bikes do exist in kids sizes, in essentially all types. 24" wheels are now common, which makes things easier. Some examples:

Ridgeback dimension 24" (hybrid as you said you don't really need suspension)
Specialized Hotrock 24" (hardtail)

Many of the major brands offer equivalents.  This is something where sticking to the big brands probably makes sense, as there's plenty of junk out there too.  These tend to be entry-to-midrange bikes (though there are exceptions) but unless the park is up a mountain or 10s of km away hey'd be more than adequate. Compared to the full-size equivalents you probably get slightly lower-spec gearing, but that can usually be upgraded quite easily/cheaply especially if done when the bike is being serviced anyway.  They're often in stock in big bike shops so test rides should be easy to arrange.

Compared to squeezing onto a slightly too-large bike (at a similar price point) you should get a lighter frame, and if you go for suspension it should be capable of being set up for someone of that weight.

A test ride is essential whether you go down this route or try for the smallest bike marketed for adults.

And a tip: getting moving with a trailer is harder than without; jumping up onto the saddle every start isn't going to make it easy.


Chain drops off outwards betweeng plastic guard and last cog on crankset

The front derailleur needs to be correctly adjusted for height, rotation and then for the H limit screw adjustment/cable tension
There is a good guide to the procedures here
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment
I would also strongly recommend that you review the Shimano documentation. https://si.shimano.com/#/en/DM/GN0001
The front derailleur helps keep the chain on the largest ring, so if it's not properly adjusted it's not unusual to fall off.


Park tools publishes a book on bicycle repair and maintenance: Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair.

Park also has a YouTube channel and Repair Help Articles.

Global Cycling Network has some maintenance videos on their YouTube channel

Performance Bicycles has maintenance videos on their YouTube channel.

Also MBR Magazine YouTube channel.

For some good places to start, try:

GCN's 5 Essential Bike Maintenance Tips

GCN's The 1 Hour Tune Up - How To Make Your Bike Feel Like New

MBR's How to Carry Out Basic Mountain Bike Maintenance


They may have been stored improperly (e.g. near a heater/source of ozone) or been old when you bought them. Also, if you wash your bike, you might be washing away some of the protectants in the tire from the manufacturer. That being said, this wear does happen relatively quickly depending on the conditions.

In any case, tire cracks are not a big deal -- they don't affect the structural quality of a bicycle tire significantly. Replace the tire when you get punctures (which will likely happen before the cracks in the sidewalls and stuff become a problem) or you have structural damage (e.g. bulges in the sidewall). You can use armor all or something to help prevent cracks though.


Is it worth buying a road bike or rather upgrade mountain bike?

Only you can decide if you "need or "want"  a road bike. I would not upgrade your mountain bike in an attempt to make it a better road bike. As the saying goes a pig wearing lipstick is still a pig. If you want to road ride for a change of scenery or pace buy a used quality built bike. The used market should have lots of bikes suitable to the local roads. Your times will improve over the MTB on the road just from the gearing alone. If you shopped well,  after a year  you can decide if you want to upgrade or just sell it. You should be able to get 80% of what you paid for it. If you buy a new bike you might get 60% of the much higher new bike cost a year later. I would ride the mountain bike  until the bike becomes the limiting factor in your race times or it breaks. If the races you ride are competitive just upgrading your MTB won't move you from 25th to 1st place conditioning and training has to come in to play.


Are chain-drive gears 'ridiculously' efficient even when dry of oil?

If the efficiency gains of an oiled
  chain are minor then that means the
  main reason for oiling the chain is to
  reduce wear/prevent rust rather than
  efficiency/speed. This is why I would
  like to know the efficiency of a chain
  when oiled as well as dry.

As explained in the IHPVA paper linked in moz's answer, apparently lubricating the chain makes little difference for efficiency, so yes, it's mainly to "reduce wear/prevent rust".

However, you should note that the IHPVA paper apparently used a new chain in mint condition. It may well be that the lubrication does not make a difference in this case. Still, an unlubricated chain will corrode much faster than a lubricated one, and corrosion does make a huge difference in efficiency (as it increases internal friction).

So in practice, lubrication include efficiency, though indirectly (by preventing corrosion).


What is the difference between Fulcrum Racing 4 and racing 6 wheels?

Theoretically, the smaller the number - the higher up the Fulcrum series.

Fulcrum produce OEM wheels for manufacturers and these are supplied to manufacturers with "even" numbers which do not appear on the manufacturer's site. The number falling between the official numbering series usually indicates the wheel being an amalgamation of wheel series. This would be something like a 3 series rim with a 5 series hub and so on. The other point with OEM products is they are often made on production lines outside of the mfrs normal line of products.


Does a crank arm Power Meter measure power in both directions?

Some power meters measure forces or torque on a drivetrain component located downstream of the bottom bracket and hence can only provide data on the net forces (or torque) applied to both crank arms combined. These power meters are unable to distinguish between how those net forces (or torque) are generated by each leg at each point of rotation of the crank arms.

Examples of such power meters include devices taking strain measurements at the crank spider, the chainring, the chain, the cog(s), the hub, or even at the rear tyre when the bicycle is on a power measurement ergometer. SRM, Power2Max, Quarq, Powertap hubs and C1 chainrings all fall into this category of power meter. Ergometers such as the Wattbike also fall into this category as they measure strain at an internal component driven by the chain.

However there are other power meters that measure the forces (or torque) upstream of the bottom bracket, e.g. measure the forces (or torque) on each crank arm or on each pedal independently (there are even meters proposed to measure the forces at the shoe cleat). These meters do the calculations and provide the same net power data that the other type of power meters do. Such meters include Garmin Vector pedals, Powertap P1 pedals, Infocrank and Pioneer. But they have the capability to provide the extra data generated by measuring the forces applied by each leg independently.

To provide the extra data from each crank arm (or pedal) it requires appropriate software and a bicycle computer head unit with the capability to record and provide this additional data.

For the most part, such meters don't readily provide this extra data, but rather provide down-sampled subsets, such as a left/right power balance. This is because the common communication standards in use for many bicycle handlebar computers (i.e. ANT+) as yet don't have this capability. So in order to provide such data it generally requires proprietary data capture hardware and software.

The question still remains as to the utility of this extra data and whether it provides any actionable intelligence.

In terms of the propelling the bicycle forward, all that matters are the net forces and the velocity at which those net forces are applied and so whether a power meter is measuring up or downstream of the bottom bracket matters little.

Where examining the independent crank (or pedal) data may be of some use is in analysing pedalling "techniques". This is not new in terms of the science of bicycling biomechanics, there have been such devices used in labs for many decades with research dating back to the late 1960s (e.g. Hoes et al). Independent crank force measurements were first reported in the literature in the 1890s! Since paper(s) by Hoes et al then there has been research into crank forces by Coyle et al, Korff, Edwards, J. Martin and no doubt many others.

One interesting aspect of the research is that while there is much made of "pedalling technique", the reality is that how we end up pedalling naturally is pretty darn hard to beat. Another is that just because there may be some negative torque on the upswinging crank arm, that does not mean it is a bad thing. Indeed if you look at data by Coyle and Korff, it's pretty normal for many elite professional level road riders.

Here is an image extracted from the Coyle et al study which does indeed show riders often apply some negative torque at some points around the pedal stroke:


Is it ok to sit on the top tube of my Cannondale CAAD12 (2017 model)?

If sitting on your top tube causes damage to your bike, the bike wasn't very safe to begin with. I imagine while sitting you have at least one foot on the ground, so your entire mass is not resting on the tube.

The amount of force that a frame must withstand is much greater than the weight of the rider. If simply placing 170 lbs as a static load was enough to damage your frame, there would be no way to safely ride the bike.

Update: While not the most scientific test, I decided to try a worst case top tube sitting scenario. I went for a 5 mile ride last night on my alloy road bike. While not as high speed, low drag as the OP's rig, it is all I have. I, a rather large 6'2" 210lbs rider, sat on my top tube while riding for as much of my ride as possible. I do not recommend this, as it turned out to be very painful, and I got some looks form other riders for some reason. Most of the ride was on roads that are not in the best condition (holes, cracks, gravel). Again, I do not recommend this. After completing my 5 miles on the top tube, I brought my frame to work for some x-rays. I x-rayed the entire main triangle, as well as the welds to the rear triangle. I can report that there was no signs of any damage (cracking or deformation of the alloy). There was a bit of damage to me however, as apparently it is a bad idea to sit on the top tube while moving.

Update 2: the mechanical engineers I work with and I conducted an experiment. We got some aluminum alloy tubes (approx 1.25mm wall thickness). It as standard 6061, which is not exactly what is used in the OP's bike. We welded up a main triangle as close to the geometry of the OP's bike as we could. We have learned a few things from this:

None of us should quit our day jobs to build bike frames. Man is that hard.
The strength of the main triangle is insane, assuming the forces are perpendicular to any side. We were about to load a static load of over 350lbs on the "top tube" before it buckled.
Bike frames are not designed to handle rotational forces. The frame will twist up with relatively low force (a torque of about 200lbft.) This force was exerted at what would be the head tube.
Science is great.

In conclusion, go ahead and sit on your top tube at lights. Since I read this post I have started doing it and it can be quite comfortable.


I can't speak to the specifics of arrythmia, but I will challenge the presumption a HR monitor is needed at all.   Its entirely possible to train well without gadgets. If you feel the need for a gadget, a power meter would give a majority of cyclists the same advantages, if no more, as a heart rate monitor.

At the elite level, some people now believe that power meter and speed/distance (for runners) supersede the need for heart rate monitors altogether, and many more are less extreme, believing that heart rate is still a useful tool to complement power meters, but not as important as power meters. Combining the two devices does give better results, but requires an awful lot of skill to analyze and understand the results and translate the information into better training outcomes.  Much more skill than most individuals have, or want to be bothered with. This area is the domain of professional sports scientists and coaches and elite athletes where seconds over hours makes a difference.


Yes. Slime makes some valve extenders for Schrader valves

, and if you have a Presta valve you can use a Presta to Schrader valve adapter (and if you really want, you can attach a Schrader valve extender to that, since you can buy the Schrader valve extenders at Walmart or whatever)

.

Some companies (like Topeak) make Presta valve extenders as well:

That being said, you can also use a little hose attached to the pump to better access the valve like the ones offered with some Lezyne hand pumps if the chuck is too big.

An example of a bendy extension hose is .

There are also 90 degree extenders which you screw on:


You're doing it already. Time on the bike is what counts the most.

In the early days you will find yourself pushing up a lot of hills but in a few weeks you'll be surprised at how much better you're doing. When you feel like a ride is going OK, try to get a little further than before on the uphill bits - maybe an extra lamp post. That might be on a Monday after a weekend rest (or it might not). If you're feeling tired, don't stress,walk when you have to .

You'll build cycling muscles, which will make you more efficient as well as stronger. And your lung capacity will improve - it sounds like this is considerably more exercise than you used to do. Then, all else being equal, the weight will start to come down a little. I suggest you measure your progress - plenty of decent bike computer apps are free (assuming you've got a smartphone).


Getting the right cockpit position. Sliding forward. What should I adjust to keep my sit bones on the seat?

Try changing the seat angle. I'm tall as you, and had the same problem. I changed to a bigger frame, but the real solution was to set my seat a bit off the horizontal (back is lower than front). Seat and handlebar are at same height. No more sliding.


What is the ideal travel for dual crown fork?

Given the frame is designed for 100mm fork, its unlikely its strong enough to handle riding that needs a 160+mm travel fork, and frame failure is possible. Its not the dual crown that is the problem - its riding a frame designed for 100 travel (typically XC) in a way that needs 200mm travel (typically extreme down hill).

Changing the fork travel changes the frame geometry and compromises handling. The original fork has 100mm, the bike is not designed for higher travel forks, anything more that about 120mm would starting to affect the handling. Above about 140mm, the bikes geometry would be all out of kilter, and it would be a completely different feel to what it is now.

For the same price, modern single crown forks in the 120-140mm travel are as good as any dual crown for enduro riding.  The original fork being a XCM100 also means its an entry level frame. I doubt the frame would benefit significantly from a decent dual crown fork over a decent single crown which would be nearly as stiff and lighter weight.

Adding all this together, if you really need more than 120mm travel, you would be better to buy a bike built for it. If you only need 120mm travel, a single crown fork will do the job best.


What are the advantages of 4 arm cranks for road bikes?

Predominately a weight thing. The Shimano marketing spiel / hyperbole:

  With a unique four-arm spider and Hollowtech II construction putting
  strength just where its needed, the FC-9000 chainset sets new
  standards for stiffness and low weight.

^^^ Shiny :)

That and because I think it looks distinctive and is seen as innovation. Some people don't like the look, but weight weenies will snap this up.

On the web I found the following comparison:
(weights are combined chainset and bottom bracket)

DA-7900 725g  <-- previous Dura Ace version
DA-9000 683g  <-- latest

That's a whopping 42g, or 5.8%. I'd buy DA if I could afford it, but not for this reason. I'd be better off eating fewer pies.

As with other Shimano releases, the technology has already trickled down to Ultegra and 105.

I guess if you don't need 5 arms, why wouldn't you just have 4?

Shimano is just an example. As andy256 commented above, Campy also has this and maybe others.


Age is the most common cause of this sort of failure -- the tire cord simply breaks down.  It's worse in white-wall or "skin-wall" tires where black rubber does not cover the sidewall.  This allows sunlight, ozone, and any petroleum fumes in the air to attack the gum rubber holding the sidewall cords together.

And, of course, under-inflation causes excessive sidewall flex and subsequent cord breakdown.  Combine it with age and the tire gets a double whammy.

Beyond those, it's possible to "bruise" the tire various ways.  Hitting curbs, eg, especially with under-inflated tires, can create a bruise in the sidewall (in addition to the danger of "snake-bite" tube damage).  Or the tire may damaged in storage when a garden implement is pressed up against it or some such.


Spindle diameter on the FSA Gossamer TT MegaExo crankset

I believe Gossamer is more of a ‘level’ of FSA products rather than a particular crank model.

MegaExo is an FSS external bearing bottom bracket type for BSA threaded shells. It uses a 24mm spindle diameter.

According to this article  24mm spindle external bearing road cranks are compatible with BB90.


Installing downtube shifters with no clamp

Without any additional knowledge on the bike, my advice would be don't drill into the down tube. You run the risk of making it structurally unsound. That being said, some bikes with downtube shifters have a hole drilled in the downtube with a rod going between the mounts and maybe some epoxy using something like this:

Some other options are:

Find a different clamp (the Problem Solvers downtube shifter mount is bigger than most, has a 31.8 mm diameter)
Try making your own clamp (e.g. with a hose clamp; this may be necessary if you have oval/other shaped rather than round tubes)
Braze on some downtube shifter mounts (Shouldn't be too hard for steel frames)
Switch to using bar end shifters/brifters (Shimano makes a Tourney 7 speed brifter)/Retroshift levers (which mount a downtube shifter on the brake lever)

An aside:

As noted in various other questions on this site (do a simple search), its often not advisable to convert a mountain bike to a road bike or vice versa due to cost and geometry reasons.


Whole Bicycle Rack Easily Removed! Is the provider liable?

They provide the rack for you to park your bike not necessarily lock it, that part is up to you. I have never heard anyone make a claim that ANY rack is safe, the courts will find that it is your responsibility to check the effectiveness of the rack.

If shopping centers were responsible for the security of your bike, you would soon find that bike racks would no longer exist.


Removing bike interfaces to reduce likelyhood of theft?

You can get quick release pedals (some folding bikes use them) with the advantage that the mount point left behind is too small to effectively pedal on. Pedals are also small and relatively clean if you carry them with you, so this works fairly well.

(MKS Ezy quick release pedal)

Commonly people with concerns like yours will install a quick release seatpost bolt and take the seat with them instead/as well. But seats are large and the seatpost is often greasy or dirty, so I am not a fan of that approach. Re-setting the seat height every time is also annoying.

The other awful thing people often remove for security is their front wheel. It's even bigger and dirtier than the seatpost.

Some not-quite-folding bikes are designed to be taken apart easily. Bike Friday, for example, and anything using S&S couplings. You could conceivably take one of the smaller pieces with you every time.

A more extreme variant is simply to remove parts and leave them off. Many fixie riders claim that people won't steal a fixie because they're hard to ride, for example. Riding a unicycle can be an extension of that idea... people won't steal a "bicycle" that has one wheel, no gears and very few valuable components, and that they can't ride.

There are a few types of bike thieves, and you need to deter them in different ways. The lazy thief who just wants transport can be deterred by almost anything (bike locked with any non-trivial lock); the opportunistic/unorganised thief who will steal anything easy and hope to sell it quickly, for whom you just need a decent lock and use it to attach your bike to something solid; and the professional or organised thief, for whom nothing short of a security guard will do as long as your bike is worth stealing. Both steal-for-sale thieves will also steal components off your bike (as will other cyclists who don't think of themselves as criminals). Normally only the easily removed parts like wheels or pumps, but I've had brakes and handlebars stolen off my bikes in the past.

A general solution is to take everything of value off the bike and replace it with cheap crap. That's a junker bike and they're very popular for this reason.


What's the specific use in carrying a pump?

Yes, people riding with a frame pump or a mini frame pump will use this in conjunction with a repair-kit (spare tube, patch kit, tire levers).

Most if not all recreational cyclists carry some method of a repair kit because flats happen and it doesn't have to mean the end of your ride. Generally with practice a reasonable time to fix a flat is 5 minutes. Those 5 minutes spent fixing a flat will be much faster than calling an Uber or your SO for a ride, or even resorting to public transit. Better yet spend those five minutes changing a flat and then go finish your ride!

You don't need a lot of bike tools—you, just need the right tools. A frame pump is one of those tools...

A frame pump can be seen as a one time cost to get air into a deflated tire. Whereas others use a CO2 cartridge to inflate a tire, but over time a few bucks for one cartridge adds up. A pump and a CO2 cartridge have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end the result is the same—fix a flat and be on your merry way!

Some satire on the matter can be found here.


Are v-brake pads compatible with cantilever brakes


What is the plastic inside this barrel adjuster, and is it okay to be worn?

I do not have the name of the part, but it's likely that it is a Teflon sleeve. A similar piece is found inside linear pull brake noodles. In cheap ones it is just plastic. In good quality ones it is a somewhat resistant plastic with very low friction (I'm not really sure if it's actually made of the material commercially known as Teflon)

In the case or a brake noodle, as you see, it is a curved part so the cable makes full contact with the inner part or that curve and it is subjected to very high force. (I don't know how to calculate, bu I guess its almost all the force your hand can apply, multiplied by the brake lever's advantage).
This sleeve is part of the noodle and I've never found it sold separately, but a noodle is an inexpensive replacement part.
If you needed to replace the sleeve on your adjuster, you could get a sleeve from a noodle, just cut it to size. But also a barrel adjuster should be inexpensive to replace, you may be able to find ones that include that sleeve; although I've never seen a barrel adjuster with a sleeve before.
For MTB brake levers, most designs I've used have a mostly direct cable route from the cable stop through the adjuster and into the cable outer jacket (housing) and there is very little fiction between the cable and the adjuster. So, my guess is that in any of my bikes, if such sleeve where used, It would have got almost no perceivable benefit, and also, very little wear. None of my brake levers has a protective sleeve inside their barrel adjuster.
In your case, it seems like the cable exits the adjuster at an angle and that caused wear as the cable slides back and forth. Most likely you can make your brakes work without it, but the cable will eventually carve a channel into the adjuster, causing more friction and a rough feel when operating the brakes, at which point you'd need to replace the adjuster (They should be cheap, so once with every cable change shouldn't add much to the cost)
In good quality brake noodles that sleeve lasts somewhere between one to two years (In my case usage is once a week MTB use on wet, muddy environment).
All this time Im thinking of the adjuster in the lever assembly (I'm guessig that's what you call the handle) But similar adjusters may be found in cable stops in the frame, in the other end of the cable where it attaches to the calipers or in rear derailleurs.
Some cable housings have an inner protection layer made of similar material. If your replacement housings have it, and you have cut a short surplus, you may be able to extract a piece and use that to replace the sleeve in your adjusters.


If external bearing BBs are better, why use traditional ones?

The average cyclist won't notice the difference in weight and torsion stiffness. Also most bicycles that are not used for sports purposes will not live long enough that their BB will ever wear out that much that it has to be replaced, therefore also low wear is not of huge importance.

So why are conventional BBs cheaper?

It's the question of a closed cartridge (conventional BB) vs. a (some kind of) open (external BB) system. One huge advantage of the closed cartridge approach is that the manufacturer has less points where they have to meet exact dimensions: for a conventional everything is OK as long as the threading is right and the axle is square – especially the axle can handle some tolerance at the square cones where the cranks are mounted. The rest of the internals can be constructed more or less freely which makes work easy for the manufacturer.

In the external case the axle is part of the crankset, but not necessarily from the same manufacturer. Nevertheless it must fit very exactly into the bearings of the BB. That means the lead-though for the axle as well as the axle itself have to be worked very exactly to fit together also among different manufacturers. Above that, if the BB consists of two halves (Shimano Hollowtech II) then the two halves have to align very well towards each other. In sum there are more production steps that require higher precision compared to a conventional cartridge BB which makes stuff more expensive.

Another point is, that in the closed system approach the BB itself stays encapsulated if you remove the cranks. In the case of the external BB the BB is somewhat open after removing the cranks which requires to be more careful when doing maintenance work. That means it's either more time and effort for the mechanic that you have to pay or if you do it yourself there are more points where you should know what to better not touch or to keep clean.


How to adjust chainline for 2x10 crank set

I can give an explanation of what is going on with the setup you have, and why the chainrings seem offset from the cassette. I think that perhaps there is not any problem and you don't need to adjust the chainline.

An older bike with a triple drivetrain will have 73mm BB shell (as you said) and a 135mm rear dropout spacing. Standard chanline was 47.5mm. The M6000 group cranks are designed for the modern MTB 142mm or 148mm rear dropout spacing and runs a wider chainline: 48.8mm or 51.8mm respectively. Shimano specs are here. The FC-M6000-2 model crank has the 48.9mm chainline, the FC-M6000-B2 crank has the 51.8mm chainline. Hopefully you have the former. In that case you're chainline is only 1.3mm wider, and your large ring on the new double crank will actually be closer to the centerline of the frame than the large ring on the old triple crank.

If you have a -B2 model, hopefully you can return it and exchange for the -2 model.

Updates:

Can't believe I missed this - if you have a 73mm BB shell you should not need the two 2.5mm spacers that come with Shimano mountain BBs. Those are for use with MTB frames that have 68mm shells. Check the BB instructions.


A folding bike for short winter commutes?

I have a 20" folder, and powering through is not something its good for.

Depending on the depth and consistency of your snow, as depth increases you'll benefit from larger wheel radius.

Spiked/studded tyres will help if you expect to ride on ice, but they're less useful on snow.

Again dependent on conditions, but close fenders/mudguards will be the wrong thing in snow because it will pack and potentially trap your wheel.

Wider floaty knobblies for snow, with studs for ice, and ideally disk brakes will be most helpful because snow will clag up rim brakes.

Wider ranging gears will help too - most folders have a single chainring of 40-44 teeth, which limits your low gearing.

An electric bike sounds good, but you're really carrying around an extra 5-10 kilograms of mass which can contribute to slips and slides.   Adding power through wheel is also going to contribute to traction loss risks.

For snow, I'd suggest a lighter bike with wide tyres, large range cassette or a wide IGH, and disk brakes.  You can swap out the tyres for summer slicks when conditions improve.   Add lots of lights and reflectors too, and thermal clothes as required for comfort and safety.


The most important thing is to make sure your core temperature is high enough.  As your body begins to chill, it pulls blood away from the extremities, to maintain its core temp.  Often times cyclists will think "my core temperature feels fine, but my hands are cold" so they think they need warmer gloves, when in reality they need another jacket/vest/jersey/base layer.

Also, remember body heat is generated in your torso, and has to be piped to your hands.  If, for example, you were riding with bare arms, and giant oven-mitt gloves, your hands would still get cold, because the blood would have lost too much of its heat before ever reaching your hands.  Again, long-sleeved jacket/jerseys, base layers, and arm warmers can all help significantly with keeping hands warm.

Good gloves are important to keeping your hands warm, but they're just one part of the chain, and if any of the pieces are missing, not even the thickest, warmest gloves in the world will stop your hands from getting cold.


If one bike has a rear rack, you can attach the second bike's front wheel with a bunch of bungies and tow it.  I've done this, and it worked fine.

Now I have a cargo bike, and the towing is simpler:


New shifters: is Acera SL-M360 a good buy and how much better is SL-M310?

Acera is on the lower end of Shimano's line of components for hybrids and other bikes that aren't going to see an exceptional amount of stress. They fit that bill relatively well, but being built mainly of plastic they do have a tendency to wear out over time. Having said that, it's probably the best deal you're going to get in terms of usefulness and longevity per dollar.


No. You should always ride with a white light facing forward and a red light facing backwards. If you want additional illumination, you can add multiple white/red lights in the appropriate direction. Amber/yellow lights can be used facing any direction for additional visibility.

The first reason is that it's the law:

  (a) Every bicycle when in use during the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible during hours of darkness from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the front and with a red or amber light visible to the rear for three hundred feet. Effective July first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, at least one of these lights shall be visible for two hundred feet from each side.

More importantly for your safety though, the color of a light conveys a certain meaning. Drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists associate the color red with a taillight and the color white with a headlight. If you put the wrong color facing the wrong direction, people may think you are traveling the opposite direction. Imagine a car is pulling out of a driveway and sees a red bike light flashing to their left. They may assume that means a bike is moving away from them on the left. If they then pull out of the driveway and you're really moving towards them, you could get hit.


Why is it important to keep equal number of turns when building a wheel?

Then you did not follow the advice if you had several very tight spokes.

  The important thing at this stage is to get all 36 spokes to be as
  close as possible to the same setting, all pretty loose.

The idea is a starting point with equal lengths.  And all pretty loose.

On your wheel threads out of site was probably too much of a starting point.
Once the treads go out of site the only reference you have to one relative to the other is to count turns.


Safe to shorten a dual-pivot caliper mounting nut?

To shorten a bolt, get two nuts with the matching thread.  Screw them onto the bolt and "lock" them together (tightened against each other) such that the nut surface farthest from the head lines up with the place where you want to cut.

Place the bolt in a vice (taking care to not mash the threads) and use a fine-toothed hacksaw or other cutting device to cut the bolt off flush with the nut surface.

Then unscrew the nuts and dress up the bolt threads with a fine triangular file.

If instead you want to thin out a nut, again fasten two nuts to a matching bolt and lock together.  Have the nut face you want to cut away facing "out", and have the nut screwed onto the bolt to the point that the bolt end is nearly flush with that face of the nut.

Use some sort of grinder to grind away the desired amount of the nut.  Then "unlock" the two nuts and screw them farther onto the bolt (to clear the threads), then off.  Work a fresh bolt through the nut several times from both directions to assure the threads are clear.


"squeaks" can come from a lot of places in the bike - they're transmitted surprisingly well - which helps them escape detection.

If it corresponds with pedal strokes, then you're probably looking at the following:

bottom bracket - regrease and tighten to spec
pedals - regrease and tighten to spec
cleats - tighten to spec

It's a process of elimination - e.g. see if it happens when you're only putting down power with one foot. Or see if it happens only when standing.

If it's not all the time, but only when you're standing, then it could be something in your steering (i.e. change in body position makes it worse).


Can I swap a 29er fork inplace of a 27.5 if I maintain close to the same axle to crown length?

As the axle is also higher, you need to really consider the Ground to Crown height rather than the axle to ground height. Also as the 29er is a larger diameter wheel, it may not clear the down tube, and may interfere with the feet when the pedals are horizontal.

Combining all this and the fact the geometry will alter the handling somewhat in ways that may or may not be significant depending on the bike and your person riding style it seems to be a fairly big risk. Only you can decide if its worth it.


Trek Mamba 2013, what BB and crankset for 1x?

The only thing you need to know with respect to compatibility is what bottom bracket your frame can accommodate.
This old Bike Radar review says the Mamba has an ‘3 piece’ crank and Octalink cartridge BB as standard, which means the frame is a threaded shell type either 68 or 73mm wide.
Your easiest path forward is to get a ‘2 piece’ crank that uses external threaded BB cups and is compatible with 68 or 73mm frame shells. There are plenty of 1x cranks available that work with external bearings in the frame widths.
Note the BB cups have to match the crank axle, each manufacturer has their own standard for axle and bearing sizes. The threads in the frame are standardized though and known as ‘ISO’ or ‘English’ threads.
It’s not practical to cite a few suitable crank models because 1) product recommendations are off-topic here and 2) there are actually a large array of cranks from different manufacturers that will work. To start you off though:

Shimano cranks use a 24mm axle and all work with their ‘Hollowtech II’ threaded BB cups (as well as press-fit BB types).

SRAM offers cranks that are either 24/22mm axle that work with ‘GXP’ threaded cups, or 30mm axles that work with press-fit BBs.

If you want to understand Shimano’s products their product line-up charts are a really good place to start (Shimano is undoubtedly the best groupset manufacturer at providing documentation). This tells you what components work together and provides links to specifications.


How do I check my steel frame for water ingress, and minimise the risk of rust?

Water will always find a way to enter the frame, if not through the bolt hole then via the seat tube or head tube or gas exhaust holes. Turning the bike upside down will not be very effective unless you fall into a river often. What you can do is 1) make sure that water has regular ways to leave the frame; 2) use special coatings on the inside surfaces to inhibit or prevent rust ; 3) perform regular maintainance to prevent bike parts from binding together.

The lowest point of the frame is its bottom bracket shell. That is where all water tend to come. Check if the frame has a hole there so that water can drip out.

You will need to strip your frame before applying a rust inhibitor. See a good guide here: https://surlybikes.com/info_hole/spew/spew_care_and_feeding_of_your_steel_frame

Lastly, you should put grease at the places where the frame holds other parts: bottom bracket threads, seatpost, quill stem (if you have a threaded one ). That would prevent parts rusting together, making it impossible to detach them later.


PRO LT Handlebar Stem asks to tighten top handlebar screws first before bottom screws? Conflicting manual instructions?

Here are a few diagrams I drew in Autodesk Fusion 360 to explain how these zero-gap stems work.
According to the instructions provided with the few zero-gap stems I've encountered, you should tighten the "no gap" bolts to full torque first, then alternate between the lower bolts to fasten the handlebar. That makes sense according to the diagrams because that ensures the upper tabs are solidly clamped together to form the C-shaped clamp. If you're confused by my weird terminology, take a look at the diagrams (especially #3 and #4). You'll see what I'm talking about.

This is a normal stem. The left piece (the stem's faceplate) evenly tightens in a straight line towards the right piece. Assuming it gets properly torqued, the faceplate will travel in a straight line to the right as the bolts are tightened.

Next, this is what would happen if you tried to use a normal stem in a no-gap fashion. As you can see, the two pieces are no longer parallel, and the bolt holes are no longer aligned properly. That's not good. If you were to tighten the bolts while the stem was arranged like this, you run the risk of damaging your stem and handlebars because the faceplate will be forcibly bent into an oval shape so that the tabs (and thus bolts) are parallel once again. Obviously, you cannot properly clamp a round bar with an oval-shaped clamp.

The next picture represents a zero-gap stem installed correctly. Note how the upper tabs are flush with each other and are lined up parallel; you're effectively turning the two separate pieces into one solid C-shaped clamp. When you tighten the lower bolt, the top joint will stay still. Instead of the faceplate moving in a straight line towards the right like how it would with a normal stem, it is now deflecting in a circular manner.

And finally, this is what it would look like if you tried to use a no-gap stem like a normal stem. You can see how the tabs are completely out of alignment. Like before, the faceplate might get deformed into an oval shape if you try to tighten it down.

My guess is that with a zero-gap stem, you're basically trying to replicate a classic quill stem's one-piece clamp without the hassle of also having to remove the brakes and shifters when removing the bars. The entire clamp should function as a rigid unit after you tighten the "no gap" bolts.


I think that there are two kinds of bicycle thieves:

Opportunistic
Professional

An opportunistic bike thief is most likely and opportunistic petty criminal, getting their hands on whatever they can. This kind of thief is just looking for pennies on the value of the stolen items, and will likely try to sell them at a pawn shop or flea market. I suggest checking local pawn shops and the like with your bike receipt and serial number in hand. Do this ASAP

If your bike was expensive and your lock was cut, you may be dealing with a more professional thief. These folks will go through greater pains not to get caught by parting out the bike, or selling it in a different location. In this case, keep your eye on Craigslist in both your area and areas around you, on websites like letgo, or on local Facebook buy/sell groups.

Good luck!


Single speed crank chainline calculation

The most plausible explanation is that the crank design has changed since 2013. Other explanation could be that it is actually a different crank. The TK13 is a generic singlespeed crank that looks almost the same as similar cranks from other brands, so it is possible that Genesis could have changed to different supplier without Cycling Plus knowing it.
In both cases, trust the measurements over specifications.


Should I use slime-filled inner tubes or anti-puncture lining?

If you have a lot of thorns around, slime is probably not going to save you. Perhaps tubeless tyres mounted in a tubeless setup could, but they are more complicated and potentially incompatible with your old rims. Tubeless also uses something like slime (most often a latex-based sealant) but it all works much better, because there is more solid rubber in a tyre so it is much easier to seal the hole in a tyre rather than in an inner tube.
Because you have a mountain bike, it might be relatively easy to mount a tubeless tyre even on a non-tubeless specific rim. The wider the rims and tyres are, the easier it is (not talking about fat bikes). However, it is a large step you might not be willing to undertake and it does require some regular maintenance.
A tyre that comes with a good solid anti-puncture lining will be much more certain than slime if you encounter many thorns.


Serial numbers are not standard, each manufacturer has its own coding.
It looks your BMX is a Schwinn BMX produced by
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Cycle
Mass product coming form the East, built to entice people looking for an object that looks like a bicycle and works almost like a bicycle, but generally with low-tier components and manufacturing not always having higher standards and QC.
Final opinion: if you like it and you like the way it rides, then it is a great bike.


Is there a tool (or preferred method) for removing the snapring that holds the cog on a coaster brake hub?

The ends of the ring often taper, sometimes only one end does. That makes it slightly easier to get a screwdriver under the ring. But doing that often just pushes the ring around. Better to use a pair of pliers to spread the end, then a screwdriver to lift it. It will usually pop off, but the plier hand can usually block it from flying across the room.

I've commonly used the circlip pliers that force something open. They're reasonably well designed for the task although grinding the outer surfaces flat improves things. Even so, I often find that the job really requires three hands - for the pliers, a screwdriver and to catch the ring. Plus another to hold the wheel if you don't have an axle vise. AFAIK there is not easy way to do it - I've seen a number of mechanics who work on these a lot and all of them use either pliers or a screwdriver or both. Practice seems to make it faster rather than easier - they've all ended up chasing the ring around the cog at times.

Unless you have a spare pair of those pliers or work in a bike shop I think you're better off buying a proper small screwdriver than the pliers, because small screwdrivers have more uses.

Note that the bottom right pair open the jaws when you squeeze the handle. This is what you want.


Short cage derailleur: how to find out maximum sprocket differences?

As a general rule a Short cage derailers should only be used with a single front ring, medium cage with double front rings and a long cage for tripple.

Naterally this can be effected by the amount of travel your bike has at the back.  If it is a full suss then as the rear wheel moves through it's travel the chain line will get longer, placeing more tension on the rear derailer.


How to approach zone practice if heart rate zones are completely inaccurate

Max HR isn't a particularly useful metric.
Not only is it particularly difficult to measure/estimate, but it can't be used to accurately define training zones, as there are large variations between individuals with regards to % of MHR they can sustain for various durations. It can even change for an individual based on their current state of training.
Basing zones on Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) is a much more useful metric for determining appropriate training zones. The most common way to determine LTHR is by performing a 30 minute solo time trial as if it were a race, and taking the average HR for the last 20 minutes of the effort. https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/joe-friel-s-quick-guide-to-setting-zones/


Rear wheel slipping out of slot after attempting a 180

If the rear wheel is moving in the dropouts, its because the forces applied to the axle are larger than the clamping force of the retention system.

You say its a Quick Release - the lever should require enough force to close that it leaves a mark on your skin.   If you can't get it to tighten enough beforehand, the QR may have stretched and come to the end of its thread.  If so, replace the whole QR and nuts.

Even then the QR's acorns may not be gripping the frame properly.  Take the wheel out and clean all dirt and grease and oil off the dropouts, both inside and outside and in the slot.  Then look closely at the serrations under the skewer nuts and make sure they are not smoothed off.  I've repaired one using a small triangular rats-tail file and a lot of patient hand filing... its a hardened steel surface and takes effort.

For sheer holding power, nothing beats traditional hex nuts.  If you're going to be exerting these forces on your bike then consider replacing the axle with a solid axle, and fitting some beefy wheel nuts.  Sounds like you're stunting, you may consider fitting pegs at this time - Pegs don't work with QRs at all.

Finally - you mentioned in a comment that the brakes are both broken, which is why you removed them and are now riding brakeless.  This suggests that your riding style is hard on the equipment, and you might be better off purchasing a more-robust stunt bike.

You should cease riding this bike until the brakes are fully operational again.  It may be inconvenient, but too bad.  Your safety, AND the safety of others in the roadway is not to be compromised for your convenience.

  DON'T RIDE A BIKE WITHOUT WORKING BRAKES !


Sunglasses fogging on cool bright mornings - can I improve airflow?

The problem with fogging up glasses lies with the shape of the glasses AND the shape of the rider's head. Some combinations are simply incompatible.

Since you can't change your head, try with a different pair of glasses. Also, some glasses have small ventilation holes at the top of the screen. Or you might get replacement screens that have these.


How to deal with lock that keeps jamming?

You can follow the advice in this thread to get your lock off, although my guess is that the lock was either damaged from washing it or water has frozen inside the lock.

Once you get it off, if the lock is damaged, Kryptonite has a lifetime warrantee on their locks. I'd call them up and ask if they'll replace it.


As can you see here, for every increase in cog numbers there is also a increase in freehub width. So yeah, you will have to find another hub or freehub body. Changing only the freehub assembly depends on the model you have, but in general it is possible. Since your bike is kinda lower end (no offense), I would say you should do the math to see if it is actually worth it, instead of simply buying a new, better hub.


29" wheels - what advantage do they provide over smaller wheels?

Regarding road bikes, the 29" rim size is actually the same as standard 700c wheels used on road bikes -- only the tire is different (larger).

One difference that I don't see mentioned often is that 29" vs 26" wheels change your effective gearing.  If you have two bikes with the same gearing but one with 29" wheels and one with 26", the larger wheel will have a higher gearing overall because of the larger wheel diameter (one turn of the pedals move you farther down the trail).  This means that the 29er can help you reach a higher top speed, but the 26er will have a lower climbing gear.

Also see the comparison on Wikipedia.


Disk brakes hands down. V-brakes are difficult to adjust, can get misaligned and destroy tire and rim (happens to me, very quickly). Disk brakes allows you to change your wheels easily and works even when wet and muddy. With v-brakes you always have the problem of different pad-to-rim separation for left and right pads due to differences in springs tension. Disk brakes works even if your wheel is wobbly.

For me, disk brakes (and overall weight) were the main reason for switching from supermarket steel MTB to a real aluminum MTB costing 4x more.


8 km is very short to be able to get in a quality warm-up and cool-down while still having time to get any decent intervals in. Unless you're a complete beginner, you're unlikely to get any meaningful benefit from doing intervals rather than just riding to work steadily. VO2 max intervals tend to be 4-10 minutes each, usually at least 4 in a session with very short ready intervals in between. This is because the most important factor for VO2 gains is the amount of time spent oxygen-depleted.

The only thing that I could see you improving during such a short ride would be your sprint. If you add in some very short (10-15 seconds) max efforts you may find that your peak power improves and the muscular improvement does somewhat help you in your longer rides. For your first few, do them on an uphill section (doesn't need to be very steep) and slow right down to nearly a stop. You should be in a gear that feels much too heavy when you start, but by the end of the interval your acceleration should have you spinning it at a reasonable cadence. These are more of a strength workout than a cardio workout, so you may find that you end up spending almost your entire ride recovering from the short intervals. Just remember that if you don't feel almost broken by the end of the session, you aren't doing proper strength work. Doing these twice a day, five days a week will eventually put far too much stress for your body to recover in time to do a quality session next time. Start off doing it once or twice a week, then maybe ramp up to three once you're used to it.


Are there reasons not to use always the max level of assistance?

Assuming you have a good quality electric assist bike from a major manufacture. The manufacturer provided the max assist setting, so they intend for it to be used. It's a safe bet the bike is built to take the max assist torque without sustaining damage or accelerated wear. If the manufacturer believes sustained use of max assist will affect the bike, it will say so in the manual, so check that.

The one thing I'd be mindful of is battery life. General advice for laptops, phones and other portable devices is that deep discharge and heat degrade batteries and shorten their life-spans. If your commute is short, and the battery capacity is adequate for max assist both ways, that should not be a problem. I'm not sure about how discharge rates affect battery life - if I find info on this I'll update this answer.

Otherwise I say go ahead and use max assist. Yes, more torque and speed will wear bearings, chain, etc. proportionally faster, but using the assist is what you bought the bike for, right?


You are lucky, bearing races (or cups, as said in the other answer) on Shimano hubs are not replaceable but you can replace the rear drive side by replacing the entire freehub body. It can be unscrewed from the hub with a 10mm hex wrench.

I am not sure if the freehub bodies are available as spare parts, but it isn't too expensive to get a new FH-475 and use it for parts. You should replace the balls and probably the cone on drive side, too.

In my experience, the low end Shimano hubs (no name, Acera, Alivio) don't wear well. Even though XT has similar construction and doesn't cost much more, the sealing and materials are better and the result is far more durable. On the down side, replacing entire hub requires rebuilding the wheel, which will probably cost more than a new wheel if you don't do it yourself.


Acera rear derailleur / freewheel compatibility

Derailleurs don't care if you have a freewheel or cassette. Also, you don't have to buy a Shimano freewheel; all modern freewheels will be inter-changeable in their threading/usage (most likely you will end up with a Sunrace or random Chinese one, anyway).

You have several parameters when you buy a rear derailleur (aside from things like direct mount vs non direct mount for getting the derailleur on the bike); these specs are on the info sheet for the derailleur:

Max/min cog (gears in back) sizes (self explanatory)
Derailleur capacity (how much slack the derailleur can take up in the chain); the necessary capacity depends on the cog and chainring sizes; the necessary capacity is (largest chainring - smallest chainring) + (largest cog - smallest cog)
Compatibility with the shifter (with an 8 speed shimano setup, you can use <=9 speed Shimano mountain derailleurs/ <=10 speed Road derailleurs)

Derailleurs are sold in short/medium/long cage versions, with higher capacity as the cage length increases.

Changing gearing may also necessitate adjusting the derailleur and replacing the chain (on length grounds, though most people coincide cassette+chain replacements anyway).

If the parameters above fit (cog size, capacity; since your derailleur is already mounted and working with the shifter), you just need to do adjustments. If not, you'll probably end up buying a long cage Shimano mountain derailleur which is 8 or 9-speed.


What is the make and model of this 16" kids bike?

I would call that a generic low end kids bike.

The manufacturer will be some anonymous factory in asia, making the same frame for a dozen different contracts.  The only variation will be in paint and perhaps decals.

Any "model" specification will be created by the assembler/importer/distributor and won't really tell you much.  It is probably as simple as "the boy's 16 inch wheel model" and that differs from the girl's one by paint colour, basket, and perhaps streamers or maybe crashpads on the top tube or handlebars.

What I do see is a bike with one brake, a rear caliper brake only.  This bike may have a coaster brake in the rear wheel because I can see what looks like a reaction arm under the left chainstay, but its very strange to have a caliper brake on the same wheel as a coaster brake.  There is clearly no front brake because there is no second brake lever.

The cranks appear to be a one-piece unit, which is a hallmark of a lower-end bike.  Higher bikes have three-piece cranksets where the bottom-bracket axle is a separate piece to the two crank arms (you might know them as "pedal arms")

The frame shows "value engineering" where the design has less metal in it by using a shorter top tube.  This also makes it easier to weld at the head tube - Shorter weld runs means less heat so less distortion.

Frankly - look at the kid.  He's having an awesome time rocking out on the bike.  He'd have as much fun on any working bike, as long as its safe and functional, and he has somewhere to ride it.


What are the good bicycles available in India

getting a new bike might be troublesome as it is a huge investment, but here are some tips that I always give others.

Get to know what kind of terrain you will be riding. There are road, trails and hybrid.

This may be a very hard factor to decide, hence many of us would recommend you borrow or rent a bike and test which suits you. Road cycling are easier and can travel further and more towards training your speed. Trails are more towards pushing yourself to overcome obstacles and about having fun. Hybrid you can do both but not as great.

Are you willing to spend on your hobbies?

Investing in a bike is a expensive hobby, really expensive. Getting a bike that can repair easily is the most ideal. For example, you should look for bike that has parts can be found online easily. Getting a bike that is impossible to find a replacement part will give you headache as you might have to spend more or get a new bike.

I am not from India so I cant give you my opinion but if I were you, I would get a mountain bike, which has a front suspension. DO not jump to getting a full suspension immediately tho. I favour mountain bikes more as you can swap the tires for road and swap it back for mountain bike trails where u can explore more stuff. this is just my opinion, hope it helps. you can ask me if you have any questions. :)


What are the dangers of the tyre/inner tube bursting?

The main danger can be an immediate loss of control.

Depending on when/where is happen, that loss of control can be minimal if going at slow speed to kill you if it happens going downhill at high speed.


Can I use the drive train of another bike?

It looks like a relatively basic hybrid based on a quick google search.

You can probably find another bike and get the parts off it and onto this bike, but this is almost never cost effective (you either need to borrow/buy the special tools you need for removing cranks, replacing the chain, etc. and the time to learn how to do this or pay a shop to do it, and the labor at a bike shop won't make it cost effective).

I'd suggest having someone look over the bike to make sure its safe to ride (is the headset loose, are the brakes doing their job, is the frame cracked, etc.), since it sounds like this bike has been neglected. A bike shop should do this for a nominal fee and tell you how much you'd need to get it into decent condition. You may find that for the cost of repairs (labor + parts or time investment) may not be worth it for you (and you may want to sell this bike and get something else).

Without knowledge of the bike, there are several things that are commonly needed to recondition bikes:

Cables + housing for shifters+brakes
Brake pads (sometimes the whole brake is more cost effective if the old one is in poor shape)
Shifters (they wear out/break)
Freewheel/Cassette (gears in the back)
Chain
Truing the wheels
Repacking the hubs of the wheels

And then various adjustments (e.g. headset). Crankset+BB in some cases as well. Note that the crankset might not actually be damaged -- some teeth are designed to look worn out, but without a picture of the bike or something, we can't even begin to make some sort of assessment.

Most of these require bike-specific special tools, so if you're not inclined to take up the maintenance on your own regularly, you're best off finding a shop to look it over.


Is it ok to use fixed gear threads for a freewheel?

If the thread fits, there would be no problem.

The nature of the mechanical stresses over the hub during traction would be identical (only there would not be the backpedal component, but that means less stress, not more).


why do left shifters switch chainrings and right shifters cogs?

I would not call it convention but rather a reasoned design choice: most  people are right-handed and one shifts the rear gears more frequently, therefore right shifts rear. This is the same worldwide for all integrated shifters, which integrate the brake and shift mechanics.

Brakes however are often reversed in countries, like the UK, where traffic runs on the left side of the road. This is indeed a convention and can be easily changed.

It is not possible to swap the gear shifters, using off the shelf components, without making some changes, e.g. the cable routing under the bottom bracket. Therefore, I would abandon this idea except if there is some medical reason, which makes a change necessary.


Help in Identifying bicycle from Mozart in the Jungle Show?

It's Tokyobike. You are welcome.

https://www.tokyobikenyc.com/


It takes a lot for springs to weaken from normal use but not break. There are applications where that's more of a thing, but little if anything on bikes unless maybe it's of particularly bad quality.

Usually if a derailleur spring has this happen it's because the bent nubs of the spring that engage the other part get bent or broken, or the holes they poke into get distorted, or slop at the joint allows them to slip out of the holes, or the spring has become distorted and weakened by being forced too much.

Some derailleurs allow disassembly of the knuckle but yours almost certainly doesn't. Just replace it. New similar derailleurs are extremely cheap.


Bike Assembly - What all needs lubrication?

To keep it simple, any place where one piece of metal touches another needs grease.

The threads of any bolt or fastener, brake posts, head tube and headset cups, bottom bracket threads, water bottle bolt threads, pedal threads, and seat post/seat tube interface get grease.

If it's a carbon frame, the seat post, and handle bar/stem interface get carbon friction paste instead of grease. and you should use a torque wrench to install the components.

Titanium frames get copper paste in place of regular grease, with special care taken where aluminum and titanium might touch.

Coat the outside of any cartridge bearing, where they touch the frame, to prevent corrosion as well.  Key here is lightly coat them, too much just picks up dirt and makes a mess.

Cables should be lubricated with a light oil, like Brunox.

Also, the chain needs regular lubrication, every 2-4 weeks, depending on climate, using a bike specific chain lube. I prefer Teflon products like the one from Finish Line.

I hope that helps.


Can't figure out the origin of loud screeching noise

You are describing brake squeal caused by the brake pads resonating on the rim during braking. Wet rims often squeal worse than dry ones and the flour use reduced the friction somewhat which reduced the ability to resonate as well as diminishing brake effectiveness.
There is a way to alleviate much of the braking noise with the technique of "toeing" in the brake pads very slightly so that the front of the pad contacts the rim first and then the rest of the pad closes further. This helps prevent resonating which is the cause of the noise.
A rubber band wrapped around the trailing edge of each pad will provide ample toe in when the loosened pad, brought into contact with the rim by activating the brake lever, is then tightened down with the pads fixing bolt. A business card placed between the trailing half of a brake pad and the rim is an alternate method of setting the toe in.
Additional actions that can be taken are cleaning the braking surface of the rim with alcohol and a scouring pad to remove oils and other contamination that can add to the tendency of the system to resonate.  At the brake pad, use sand paper to rough up and clean the braking surface of the pads.  Pads develop a hard glaze with age and the heat from braking which can contribute to noisy braking. Sandpaper removes the glazing exposing softer rubber below. The roughened surface of the pads contributes to the friction potential which can change the ability of the pad to resonate on the rim.  Utilizing a softer compound pad can be of use as well. Kool Stop is a popular, quality brand of brake pads that many bikers swear by.  One can acquire brake pads that have a longer contact patch on the rim--the pads are essentially longer which effects the resonation potential as well.
Park Tool has an excellent instructional video on linear pull, "V-brakes," such as yours, and includes the toe-in technique described above.


Changing cassette from 8 to 10 or 11 to meet the Shimano 105 5800 groupset

Yes, 8/9/10/11 cassettes have different cog spacing.

You have several options:

Replace freehub body to Shimano/SRAM 11 speed compatible, if hub manufacturer provides such an option. It's 1.85mm longer than 8/9/10.
Replace freehub body with Campagnolo one. The trick is that all 11 speed cassettes are cross compatible, but Campy freehub body has same width for 10/11 speeds.
Use 10 speed cassette. This blog entry states that works good enough after some derailleur and cable tension adjusment.
Use 11 speed cassette without one cog and using additional spacer.


Reversible but not symmetrical lower plate in seatpost

Since neither position offers a clamping advantage I would say it doesn't matter. The only difference I can see is the position in the top/first photo might allow the saddle to be set slightly more forward. The lower/bottom photo position might allow the saddle to be slightly more to the rear.


Just replacing the groupset is not enough. 9 speed cassette has different spacing from 6 speed, so the derailleur steps won't match the cogs. For 9 speed cassette, you'll need a new hub, and the new hub is wider than 6 speed so you need to spread the frame too.

There are many different 26" sizes, none of which actually measures 26". For 26 x decimal inches, the correct one is 559mm

See above and What is the maximum or minimum tire width I can fit on my bicycle


Which type cycle should I choose. Need Help

There are pros and cons to each type of bike:

Road bike advantages (imo):

Light weight
Less rolling resistance/easier to maintain higher top speed
Easier maintenance in some cases (less paniers, fenders etc. That can get in the way of things
better looks?

Hybrid bike advantages:

Pre installed fenders (you won't get dirty when riding)
More mounting points for locks, lights etc.
Wider tires meaning less pinch flats (especially on rougher roads)
More options for mounting racks for carrying luggage (often these racks are pre installed)
Dynamo mount or hub dynamo (on some models) meaning you won't need batteries for your lights
bigger tire clearance (distance between tire and frame) which is useful for mounting fenders but also to prevent the space between frame and tire getting filled up with mud when riding on dirty roads
+option to install wider tires due to frame clearance
more comfortable riding position
some hybrid bikes come with belt drives/internal gear hubs which require less maintenance/cleaning and internal gear hubs will have a longer lifespan than a derailleur system, It is said that belt drives also last longer than chains (but I have no personal experience with this)

It all depends on your situation...

do you use the bike for cycling to work (if so can you chainge clothes at/near work?)?

Have you ridden road bikes before/are you comfortable with the riding position (bent over to the front; which is more aerodynamic than the position on for example a hybrid bike)?

How rough are the roads you ride on? Are there many potholes and such? Will you risk getting pinch flats when riding on narrow (road bike style) tires?

Do you often ride in the rain/muddy roads? If so fenders would be a good thing to have on the bike.

Where do you store the bike? Do you need to carry it up stairs (if you store it inside)? If so weight is important.
How many hills you climb is also important regarding this (the bike's weight)

If the roads are muddy then if you use rim brakes you might risk wearing the pads/rim brake surfaces very fast due to the sand acting as a sandpaper in between brake pads and rims. When using disc brakes (which are present more on hybrid bikes than on road bikes) this problem will be greatly reduced or even illiminated (much less mud will get on your brake disc than on your rim wall, also brake discs can be easily replaced without rebuilding the wheel(s) and if you have to rebuild the wheel or replace the wheel it will most likely cost you a lot more money/time.