I think you're looking at the lists backward - they have lists of banned substances.  Everything else is okay and permitted because its not banned.

So if your medication contains anything on the banned list you're best finding an alternative or dropping that product completely.

You're able to prove that you made inquiries, and that your supplements do not list anything on the banned lists.  You've done all you can short of getting your supplements chemically analysed, which is a bit extreme and unreasonable.

Imagine if you did get hauled up for having something in your test results - you have made more effort than most, and you have the paperwork/papertrail to prove it.

Just focus on your pre-race training, pre-ride the routes if at all possible, and plan your diet for before and during the event.  And plan on tapering nicely.


How to tell if my handlebar is really too long?

Presuming as you are talking cutting down they are a flat bar.
Slide the grips, brakes and shifter inboard and ride it, see if it feels better.  If so, cut it down, if not, leave as is. If you are still not sure,  a cheap shorter bar to try for a bit a longer might be worth the investment before committing to cutting.
Bars can always be cut down, so its cheaper for the supply chain to supply one length, that too long for most people, and have them trimmed.  Many have markings to show where to cut when trimming.


Seat post clamp bracket failure - how to repair?

It is aluminium, it is a material that do not like welding, even less drilling through it.
In my opinion, you are left with one reasonable option only, as mentioned by @mattnz, remove the other half of the bolt clamp and then use a new clamp.
Please use the longest seat post you can find, to avoid stressing the top part of the seat tube. Given the failure you had and the laid back posture on a cruiser bike, it may be helpful to place the new clamp with the bolt in the front, not on the back.
You have also a crazy option
: banana seat, as explained in this video from Youtube.com


Is it harder to ride a comfort bike on a paved trail than a hybrid?

'Comfort' and 'hybrid' are not particually specific terms. Let's assume:

Comfort bike means a bike with an upright riding position - the rider's back is nearly vertical. Handlebars are high and relatively close to the rider.

Hybrid means a cross between a road and mountain bike rider's back 45-30 degrees from vertical. Bars far enough forward so that riders arms are nearly straight.

(Almost) all other things equal: wheel diameter, mass, tire width and pressure, the more upright riding position of the comfort bike makes it harder for the rider to apply power to the crank, hence it will be harder to ride at the same pace as the hybrid. The comfort bike will likely have a lower gear ratio range to accommodate the lower possible power.


Front tyre size - is 1.9" a good option?

You can mix and match tire sizes if you want - its relatively common. You just need to make sure that the tires fit on the rim and to a lesser extent are not too thin or too wide for the rim. This is often done for different tire clearances in the front and back, for example.


You can find what you're looking for under names like "downtube shifter lever boss kit".. You should be able to find something at a bike shop (especially one which works on older bikes) or a frame builder.

Another alternative is to use a clamp.


Is it usual for grease to contract in cold weather?

Looks like it was stored upside down at some point.

When you do this, the air bubble moves to the bottom and can take some time to return to the top.

See also, Nutella, Marmite and other viscous gloops.


With a 700c X whatever tire, does the other number really matter?

700c (ISO 622) is the wheel size (other common wheel sizes are 26 inch (ISO 559), 29 inch (which is really the same as 700c), 650b, etc). The second number determines the tire size (via width-ishness).

See this page on tire sizing - there is some variance even among tires marked the same thing (and strangely enough, numbers mean different things when written as decimals or fractions), even if the tires are of the same style (say, slicks; Obviously if one tire is knobby and the other is slick, you can't reasonably expect them to have the same tire clearance when mounted in the same bike). Generally, the bigger the second number, the bigger the tire  (knobs can cause this to be violated) and typically more cushioning. However, if its too big, it won't clear the brakes or the fork/frame.

Typically, your tire should between 1.5x and 2x the inner rim width - too narrow and the rim can take some hits. Too fat and the brakes drag on the tire/handling can be compromised.

If you haven't bought a tire before, take the bike to your LBS and try on some tires so you're sure they'll clear the frame and are not too wide for your rims.


Do certain makes/models/types of bikes get stolen more than others?

I'm a lifelong cyclist, including big cities like SF, Oakland, Baltimore, DC, Atlanta, etc...   And I've worked in a few bike shops so I've heard several stories.

Basically, there are 2 kinds of bike thefts:

Crimes of opportunity. Meaning, if a thief thinks they can sell it for $20 or more and they think they can get away with it.  These folks will steal any "decent looking" bike. These thefts are atributed to drug addicts.  But, I've heard of all kinds of people doing this.  Some do it for the thrill.
"Professional" bike thieves.  The kind that patrol cities and universities looking for bikes that they can flip on craigslist or ebay for good money.  They sometimes patrol in vans stealing a dozen in one night using professional tools.  They usually steal in one city and sell via craigslist in another.  These guys know the difference between cheap bikes and nice bikes.  They go for the latter exclusively.

Also:

No bike is 100% safe, even in your garage, house or apartment.
No lock is 100% safe.  They just buy time.  A cheap lock is worth about 5 seconds.  An expensive lock is worth about 10-15 minutes.  If the thief has the time and won't be interrupted, they may go for it.


The logo says   "CODA"   which appears to be a name applied to some Cannondale components.

They have cranks and saddles branded as CODA.

Note that there's a Jamis model called a Coda - that's different again.


You can reset the Wireless passkey - even if you don't know the current one - by connecting your bike to a windows computer/laptop using the charger.

Download e-tube for windows at https://e-tubeproject.shimano.com

Then do this:

Connect the bike to your computer using the charger and Junction A
Open the e-Tube windows app
Make a connection by clicking "connection check"
Click "Bluetooth LE settings"
Set a new passkey

You can now use the passkey you just set to connect to your bike using BluetoothLE/ANT+. The Passkey is required for wireless connections only.

Also: if you really want to update firmware then I recommend using a computer (over USB) rather than the mobile app. It a bit safer. You can update using the mobile app, of course.. but as far as I'm concerned the mobile app's main feature is changing settings easily (out on the road).

More info:

resetting your passkey: https://di2center.com/2019/05/05/change-your-di2-wireless-passkey-using-the-e-tube-app-or-windows-computer/  (2nd half of page)
connecting to computer https://di2center.com/2019/04/22/how-to-connect-your-di2-system-to-your-computer/

(disclaimer: my website ;). If you're having more problems and can't figure things out don't hesitate to ask)


I think one thing is for sure, they did not communicate to you effectively. Regardless of whether the bike really needed all that stuff or not, they failed in this regard. At my shop, if a repair exceeded the estimated cost by even twenty or thirty dollars we would contact the customer and wait to do it, unless we happened to have a particularly close relationship with them. Our customers were mostly students and postdocs on fixed incomes, so it was imperative that we be sensitive to their budgets.
As for the line items, it seems strange that they charged you for a freehub body kit, but did not replace the freehub? At least, from your description you say they couldn't fix the lateral play in the cassette and told you it didn't matter (which is true). So did they replace the body or not?
Bearings: it's always nice to have fresh bearings, but they are not like brake pads that should be replaced at the first sign of being worn out. A cartridge bearing will develop play that will get worse over time – it takes time for it to become catastrophic. I would occasionally open up loose ball bearings and squirt some grease in, but I wouldn't ever press in new cartridge bearings without warning the customer. If nothing else, that conversation would be a chance to up-sell them on nicer bearings.
As for the chain, it actually is essentially the same amount of work to replace it as to shorten it, so it's not all that unusual to me to just charge the same price for either.
Not sure what "gear out" means, nor a "cycle safety check." We would check every bike first for safety, for free – that's the only way that we could assess what repairs, if any, were needed. The only thing we charged for was actually fixing problems.
There's a lot of typical bike shop invoice bloat there that doesn't look too wrong. But the point is that the bill was almost three times as much as the estimate and that's no good. There should have been one, if not multiple phone calls made. This is exactly why my policy was to never do a repair that was more than $100 without printing out a detailed itemized estimate for the customer and explaining where things could go wrong that would affect the final bill. It's always in the mechanic's best interest to be forthcoming about the bill.
If you want to have a conversation with them, I'd suggest not mentioning that you came to the internet for advice. I also wouldn't necessarily question the repairs that were or weren't done. Mechanics always get defensive – ego is our weakest trait. Rather, just be explicit that you are disappointed – not mad – that they didn't give you the opportunity to sign off on the repairs, and that you happily would have agreed to the charges anyways, if they'd just let you know ahead of time (even if this is a lie, it'll make the conversation easier). Obviously, this is if you're still interested in using their services in the future.
edit: why are there so many different labor charges? My instinct is to defend bike shops but I don't feel great about this shop.


How much cheaper is cycling than driving?

I commute by bike around 8,000-10,000 km per year and based on my book keeping it is at about 1/5th (or less) the cost of running a car.  After accounting for paying for the bike (i.e., devaluation) and maintenance (e.g., consumables such as chains, tires, etc), and under the working assumption that I will sell and buy a new bike in 5 years time. I projected the total cost of ownership on a per month basis about $136.  By comparison the Canadian Automotive Association suggested running compact car will cost you about $735 per month after insurance, fuel, devaluation and maintenance.

As an aside, an interesting tidbit on bicycle cost of ownership was that consumables cost 3x as much as the cost of bike devaluation once you amortize over 5 years.

  NOTES

  All calculations are in Canadian Dollars and Local Bike Shop prices.  Clothing has not been included, nor has food costs.

  Feel free to change or modify the Google Spreadsheet as these calculations are for the higher end of the commuter spectrum.

Bicycle cost of ownership

This cost break down is for a higher end commute bike with high quality racks, fenders and lights (vehicular quality due to the need to ride at night down unlit paths).  These calculations assume the bike will be sold and replaced after 5 years of loyal service.

Below is a photo of the bike  used to derive the cost calculations. It is pictured carrying a full load that includes work cloths, shoes, change of bike cloths, rain gear, computer, various papers, and food for the day.

1) Fixed Costs

These are the costs of buying a new bike and adding all the necessary components to make it a proper transportation machine, then the amount of money lost due to devaluation over the 5 year period.

Full purchase price

This was for a steel "all roads" road/touring bike that could take racks.  Because most bikes in North America are sold naked, metal fenders and good racks along with "vehicular quality" lights were added to make this a complete bike.  This put the total coast at $3230

Devaluation

After 5 years the bike (and all components) will be sold for approximately 40% of its original cost due to the higher devaluation in bicycles relative to cars.  This gives us a devaluation cost of around $406 per year or $33.83 a month!

2) Variable Costs / Consumables

These costs will depend on how much you ride and under what types of conditions you ride in. These costs are for a temperate rain forest where 30-40% of the riding is on dirt roads or paths which wears parts faster. Replacement mileages are on my records and are averages rounded to the nearest 500 km.  Some are conservative estimates and have been indicated as such.

For the riding I do the cost in consumables is about $103 per month.

3) Final Costs

Just add (1) and (2) to derive the final cost.  On a monthly basis it will be about $136.41, compared to $735 for a compact car.  This is about 18.5% of the cost of vehicle ownership, i.e. the total costs of riding a bicycle per unit-distance are roughly 1/5th the total costs per unit-distance of driving a car.


If you can diagnose exactly where the noise is coming from, it will be easier to know what you need to service/replace. It sounds like the squeak is periodic with the crank turning around (as opposed to the chain or the wheel), so that would suggest that it is a problem with the crank, bottom bracket, or pedals. Try inspecting and turning the pedals and crank independently and see if you can narrow it down from there.

If the grease around the bearings washes out, the bearings can deform or break or become loose, and sometimes that will lead to a problem like that. Chances are the easiest way to fix it is to just replace whatever is making that noise.


How to give away lights to cyclists without lights?

We have had much more success advertising it and doing it through a local bike shop or bike group. Once each, so far, that I've done.

I think the psychology behind refusing a gift from a stranger is much as Criggie says. You're some random dude approaching people at night offering second hand lights of unknown provenance. Why are you doing that? What's going on? Especially because you're also criticising them "you, the idiot without lights, stop and let me tell you how to do it properly". Yeah, nah.

FWIW, I have your same issue with chain lube. Occasionally I'll ride up behind someone whose bike is in mortal agony and say "I have chain lube in my pannier, wanna stop and let me fix that noise for you" and hardly anyone will accept.

The first time I was involved in a lighting give-away was when the Critical Mass fund I kept had more than a thousand dollar surplus and I decided I should do something with it. Critical Mass is an anarchy, so it really was my decision. While chatting with the owner of a bike shop at Mass we came up with the idea of buying a bunch of cheap-but-reasonable lights and giving them away. We talked to the local cycling promotion bureacrazy and they agreed that given 6-12 months to get themselves organised they could help promote it. We declined. I handed over the cash (my $1000, about $500 from the shop for lights that wholesaled at ~$5/pair when bought by the boxful), the shop ordered some of boxes of lights, I printed up a few posters and we put them up in the shop and along the bike route we were targeting. Then one winter night we set up a stall on the footpath next to the bike route, got 3-4 people to man it, and gave away about 300 sets of lights over 3 nights. We explicitly didn't stop people getting more than one set, but we did refuse a couple of people who were obviously going "free stuff, give me everything".

That was very popular, and was sufficiently effective at promoting the bike shop that the owner went "I can spend $500 on a 1/4 page ad in bike magazine, or $500 on free lights... the lights work much better". Even people who didn't need or want the free lights thought better of the shop for the give-away.

So a couple of years later the shop owner did a deal with the cycling promotion unit in the local council or state government or somewhere (I wasn't involved with that bit). The promotion people advertised it and put in half the light fund, the shop ditto, and we/they gave away another few hundred lights (I helped with this bit). The location was picked to suit the promotion people, but it was busy and also the site of a new cycle route. Again, very popular and effective.

The difference is that we had an official-looking banner and multiple people, plus the signage/people were known entities. People will take a free gift from a local businessman, or "that guy from Critical Mass" who they see regularly, much more willingly that someone they've never seen before. It's about attributing motivation. "it's a bike shop promotion" or "that guy is nuts about bike community" is easy and people will just run with it. Having to think about why you're trying to press lights on them is hard.


How to get back into racing after an accident

Since you don't have a big Winter racing programme lined up, you can afford (you have time) to take a low risk approach.

So I recommend a gentle test ride of 10 to 20 kms to start with. Avoid jumps, mannies or any other tricks on this ride. Decide what distance you think is good for you, and keep to that decision. Don't go further because you feel good. See how you feel at the end of the ride, and the next day.

Take a day off riding to plan your get fit programme, and recover from the first ride. Use what you've learned from the first ride to guide you.

Plan to break your training up, partly for variety, but partly to keep each session focused. I'm thinking you'll need rides /sessions such as

Aerobic / endurance training. That could be SLK's - Long Slow Kms.
Strength / hill training (think intervals, or hill repeats).
Skills training. Partly for fun. But how did you break your collar bone? Is there a skill you could practice that would avoid that outcome?

Plan to train every second day, until your are feeling strong again. Remember to include recovery rides when the training is leaving you feeling stiff the next day. And / or get muscular massage.

There are many other answers that can help you under the training tag.

Good luck.


How often should air spring forks be reinflated (topped up)?

For one, it depends on how sensitive you are to changes in suspension performance. You can’t really measure for any drop (your shock pump will initially steal some of the air chamber’s air in order to equalize the pressure), so you’d have to go by feel.
From my experience, leakage has been negligible, even after a few months. Topping the air up isn’t hard anyways, so it’s not a big issue. Just screw the pump on, get back to your original pressure, equalize the positive and negative air chambers (if applicable), and you’re good to go. If your fork/shock leaks faster than that, you probably need to do a service.


Route planning and avoiding gravel/unpaved roads?

Use Bike Route Toaster and make sure you are using Open Street Maps Cycling version ("Open Cycle Map).  As part of the route finding options under Open Street Maps there is an "Avoid unpaved roads/paths"

I have successfully used Bike Route Toaster with a Garmin 800 in the past.  I planned out a 1000 km journey across Norway on back roads, gravel (eek!) and paths.  It was amazing how well it worked, thanks to the all the hard effort of volunteers around the world who contribute to the cycling version of open street maps.  I only had one minor hiccup in all those miles.

Good luck!


Can I replace my road bike's front wheel quick release with any quick release?

Yep. Quick releases are standard and interchangeable.

You need to make sure you get one the right length for a front hub. Front hubs for a road bike, hybrid or older MTB will be 100mm wide.


I've used a trunk rack myself and only put a little denim pocket I made over the pedal of the inner bike and haven't had any troubles with it leaving marks, even after transporting a mountain bike from Mississippi to Massachusetts using it.  Before I started using the denim pocket, I did have an occasion where I wasn't careful with the pedal and scratched the trunk lid, but that was it.


Why the heck are cleated shoes called clipless?

It has to do with the difference between pedals with toe clips and clipless pedals.

Pedals with Toe Clips

Clipless Pedals (and shoes)

The clipless shoes are for the clipless pedals.

The wikipedia page says the following:

  Clipless refers to the lack of an
  external toe clip, but not to
  be confused with platform pedals
  without toe clips.


Need Connector for Motor - I don't want to buy 50

First 9-Core Waterproof Plug in connector at Green Bike Kit

http://www.greenbikekit.com/9pin-waterproof-connector-cable.html

This was the 3rd result when I googled "9-Core Waterproof Plug in connector"


The main things to look for when purchasing new lights:

How bright are the lights? Can you see them for a few feet, a block, half a mile, etc?
What is the angle of visibility of the light? It does you no good if you can only see the light from one single point - you want to be sure your light can be seen from a wide range of angles, especially for your rear light.
What features are included? - Do you get multiple levels of brightness (for your front light) or different flashing modes (for your rear)? It's nice to have different flashing modes on your rear because it catches people's attention at lot quicker than a steady light.
How long do the lights' batteries last? You don't want to get caught out with a dead battery (trust me, it's not fun)
To go along with the above - rechargeable set or normal batteries? The rechargeable is a lot nicer IMO, because you don't have to worry about getting AA/AAAs every few weeks/months. However, it's a lot harder to bring or find backups if you're going to be out for quite a long time. If you go with AA/AAA's you can also use rechargeable versions, which would cut down on the cost if you use your lights often.
Price point - How much is your safety worth?
Theft/secturity - How often do you need to worry locking your bike up in an area where people can take / mess with your equipment? If it is quite often, you'll want to look into something that has a quick release from the light to the frame or rubber O-rings (those are fairly easy to take on/off often) - thanks Colin Newell


That does not look like a 28 decimal
That is a 28 fraction and that is not a 700 (622)

Sheldon Tire Sizing


How do I find the right derailleur (gear-mech)?

You'll also need to know the manufacturer, so that the shifters will be compatible. Most likely it's Shimano, or SRAM. It should be written somewhere on the shift levers.


Stop riding the bike until you know what's going on here. If you aren't able to work out what the issue is then find a mechanic who can look at it for you, losing the front wheel while riding is going to end up very badly for you.

That fork should have 15mm axle and you say it's a QR so usually you screw the axle in and to then flip the QR like lever up to lock it. There is often a small screw that adjusts the tension needed to lock the lever so it may just be that that needs adjusting.  But if you're in any doubt as to the security of the wheel don't ride the bike until it's sorted.


2) Google maps estimates that this distance would take 2 hours to complete. Would it be possible (depending on the bike and fitness) to do this distance in about an hour?

Given that most commutes have a number stops, to ride 35 km in an hour you would be having to be averaging speeds around 40 kph+ when moving (likely more depending on the length of stops).  This could be done by a very fit rider, on a TT bike every so often.  To do this level of effort consistently 2-3 times every week, week after week, into head winds and rain, while carrying a load (e.g., lunch and cloths) is incredibly doubtful.

If you can't spare more time, one option could be some of the high performance pedalec bikes. Some of very high-end ones these can sustain speeds of 45 kph and have ranges up to 80-100km. A few of these also do a good job matching your input power the profile so that you do not notice the assist (you just feel faster). Because you still have to work with a pedalec, it is still possible to get a good workout by modifying the level of assistance.

One additional considerations are your local laws. For example, in Canada I believe pedalecs are legally limited to 32 kph. So a 45 kph pedelecs may be illegal unless registered as a moped! Although there may be legal loop holes with how the bike provides assistance (i.e., no throttle).  I am no lawyer, so take this caveat with a grain of salt.


I think the terms used here are a bit confused. Rather than saying that a road bike has 22 "gears", you should be saying that it has 22 "speeds" (or more correctly, as pointed out in the comments, "gear ratios" is the technically correct most accurate term (when people say 'gear', they are using it as short for 'gear ratios')).

Even that can be a bit confusing, but to figure out the number of "speeds" a bike has, you would multiply the the number of gears in the  front (in the case of your bike, 3) by the number of gears in the back, (in the case of your bike, 8). Meaning that your bike is actually a 24 "speed" bike.

A typical road bike manufactured today might have 2 gears in the front, & 10 or 11 in the back - so a 20 or 22 speed bike.

For a mountain bike, 30 - 40 speeds is a bit of an exaggeration. Most mountain bikes will have 2 or 3 gears in the front & up to 10 or 11 in the back. The largest cassettes (gear set in the back) manufactured have 11 gears. So the max number of speeds (again, gear combinations) a bike can have  would be 33 (3 in the front x 11 in the back), although this may be an uncommon combination.

Here is a photo of a 30 speed drive train.

Here is a photo of a 24 speed drive train.

Here is a photo of a 22 speed drive train.

Whether or not all of these gear combinations are actually practical to use is another question though.


If you know the model and exact year Bicycle Blue Book is a good place to start. This is a link to all the models for Peugeot:

http://www.bicyclebluebook.com/BicycleDatabase.aspx?make=718


I'd say that for loaded touring the place to start is tires, not wheel size. You need a bike that can accommodate larger tires. 32mm at a minimum and 40+ if you plan to travel on dirt roads or take on very heavy loads.

It's generally easier to find a 26" wheeled bike that can take larger tires, but if you find a 28" bike that can accommodate larger tires that will work fine as well.

In theory if you build a 26" wheel and a 28" wheel with the same rim and spoke type/count, the 26" wheel will be stronger. But there are plenty of people touring with 28" wheels.

The most important thing is to get a frame that fits you and has a comfortable geometry. If you're less than 170cm or so in height, 26" wheels might make more sense on a bike that small.

Look at bikes that are built for touring and see what their specs are in terms of geometry and wheel size. Wheel size is the last thing you should be worrying about. Look at the specs for this bike

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker

In the smaller sizes it comes with 26" wheels and 28" wheels in the larger sizes.


How to judge BB height visually and the effect on handling?

BB height is something that is very important in mountain biking, as well as other disciplines. It effects where the riders center of gravity is in relation to the bike and to the ground. Generally speaking, a higher BB height will lead to a higher center of gravity making the bike harder to turn when the rider leans into the turn. A higher BB can help you clear obstacles though, especially when you consider how far down a big ring may hang from the BB.

Judging BB height visually is something you'll have to learn from experience or by putting a couple bikes next to each other. How good are you at judging a 5mm difference? If you can't then judging BB height is pretty much useless unless you're comparing a hybrid touring bike to a full downhill bike.

Another important point is that not all chainstays will be straight. What about full suspension bikes? Some of those chainstays arc up and not tell you anything about BB height. Suspension also means that as you put weight and/or pressure on the bike the BB height will lower as the suspension moves through it's travel.


How can I look unsafe to a car driver but be safe

Try not hugging the edge of the road, drivers will be more tempted to squeeze past through smaller gaps if you're right at the edge. Instead ride about 1/4 of the way across the lane, it might p*** off a few drivers, but it will make them think twice about squeezing past with overtaking traffic / parked cars / etc.


Rear derailleur adjustment needed? Should the rear derailleur pulleys hang perfectly straight down below cassette rings?

No, it will not be perfect in every setting. I mean this politely: It's a bicycle, not the space shuttle. The reason you find so many differing opinions as to the repair and upkeep of bikes is that they are forgiving of bad maintenance and poorly executed repairs. There is a lot of "play" relative to each part.

For example, sprinting causes the bottom bracket to be pushed laterally in both directions, constantly shifting the angle that the chainring presents to the cassette. If they were precisely mated this would cause ghost shifts at a critical moment. But it doesn't happen because they purposefully account for such variances in angles and fit.

In regards to the rear derailleur, if it hangs roughly 90 degrees under one cog, that relationship should be found amongst all cogs. The exception will occur under shifting.

The derailleur is nothing more than a parallelogram that keeps a constant distance from the cogs. If this does not happen it means that:

1)The rear derailleur hanger is most likely bent.

2)The derailleur itself is bent, but not as likely.

Have fun!


Expected Lifetime Mileage: Bottom Bracket and Headset

Headsets often last the life of the bicycle. They can get "brinneled" or damaged in a crash or something, but 1500 miles is absurd.

As for a bottom bracket, on the low end, maybe 5000 miles. The basic Shimano one most people use (UN51/55/similar) can reasonably expect 10k+ miles. But sometimes you get unlucky and get a bottom bracket that lasts maybe 500 miles. You may have just gotten a lemon.


First thing to do is loosen the bolt all the way and grease the threads. If possible, snake a lube dripper in and get a drop of lube under the bolt shoulder too. That may completely fix it, but while you have the lever separate from the clamp, look everywhere you can see for cracks in the lever body that might be preventing the clamp from snugging everything up properly. Pull back the hood as needed to inspect. If none of that leads to an answer, next thing to do would be get better eyes on the section of bar it's trying to clamp, and also the clamp itself.

Given this started with a crash I'd be pretty worried that the lever body is broken somewhere.


Can Inner tube 1.25 / 1.5 fit 26x1.4 tire?

Most 26x1.25 sized tubes are rated from 1.25" up to 1.5". You should be fine with the 26x1.25 tube as long as that's the lowest size indication on the tube.

Though most tubes you'll find will indicate an acceptable low/high range. You're likely to find the tubes indicated as 26x1.25/1.5 which should fit any sizes listed or between.


As all the comments have stated most appear to be brand/ model specific. Since it is an older frame it is possible that it didn't have them. Some older frames snaked the entire cable housing thru the frame. The stop was on the component, (brake, derailleur or frame mounted cable stop). If you search for custom bike frames builders you may find some local sources. If you don't have your heart set on internal cables, you can use bolt on frame mounted stops. You will need to measure the frame tube diameter and figure out if you need single, double or triple stops.


Performance difference between 700x28 vs 700x25 tires?

Rolling resistance is complex and not easily calculated. Fortunately, the people at bicyclerollingresistance.com did actual measurements for different width versions of same tire. The short summary is that

Wider tire has lower rolling resistance at same pressure
The maximum and useful pressures are lower on wider tires
When each width is inflated to correct pressure (which is far above 60 psi for 23mm tires), there is very little difference in rolling resistance between different widths.
EDIT: At their test setup, 18 mph and 94 lbs load, the power lost to rolling resistance per tire is 12.9W for 25mm@100psi and 12.7W for 28mm@80psi (pressures picked based on what I use). The total difference, 0.4W for both tires together, makes approximately 0.02Mph difference in speed if everything else (including air resistance, which isn't exactly true) is kept the same.


Bike options for winter commuting in the mountains

Here are the things I believe you should be considering when making the decision.

Fat bikes climb just fine.  Yes, a road bike will climb a paved hill more efficiently than a mountain bike under the same conditions.  But, a mountain bike will also climb a muddy single track that a road bike would simply fail to move at all on.  Efficiency and utility are trade offs in this respect.

A cyclocross bike will be more efficient in many conditions.  However, at some point your cross bike will become unrideable (too much/deep/wet snow) and a fat bike will plod on.  Depending on your weather and commitment to riding, a couple days a year where you shelve your cross bike and take other transportation may be acceptable for you.  However, if you want to make sure you can ride as often as possible, a fat bike will offer you more commuting days.  A fat bike also offers an advantage in this area as far as not finding out halfway into your commute that you are going to be pushing your cross bike the last 3 miles.  It's slower, but a bit more honey badger.

As far as safety, I'd much prefer to descend with ANY snow on a fat bike than a cross bike.  Thinner tires may cut through snow for traction, but when descending that sinking has a tendency to yank the front wheel all over the place.  A wider front tire will float and may have a tendency to wash, but not dig and turn.

A fat bike would open up new options to you for winter trail riding.  A cross bike just doesn't even enter into this equation.  However, if you aren't into trail riding, it isn't really an advantage to you.  Personally I enjoy winter trail riding above all other forms of riding and I live in the right place for it, so fat bikes are THE bike for me.


Unsupported unicycle touring is not very common because it doesn't work very well - you really need to carry more stuff than can comfortably be carried in a backpack while unicycling, which limits the amount of time on the uni, which in turn limits how far you can go. As well, unis are slower than bikes which further limits distances. Towing a trailer kind of defeats the point of a uni, and makes the whole process very difficult. But that's what you need if you want to carry more than a days food and water. That said, people regularly manage 50-60km a day, so it is possible to tour.
These two managed 3500km across Australia, and unicycle forums are where you'll find most of the details.

A unicyclist on a record breaking tour of North and South America has reached British Columbia, after biking more than 22,000 kilometres on one wheel.
Cary Gray of St. Louis, Mo., set off on his epic journey on July 1, 2013 and has already spanned 11 countries: U.S., Canada, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia.
In Panama, Gray broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Unicycle Journey,

(via CBC News)

The same guy via Pinterest
Lots of the "unicycle touring" I've been able to find is fully supported - it's one or two people on unicycles, followed by at least one motor vehicle carrying all their gear. This guy rode 15,478km across Australia and also claims to hold the Guinness world record (that site is all about the fundraising effort).
(edit) Also, the legalities can be difficult - in many countries unicycles are technically not allowed on the road, or the rules are bizarre (unicycles are bicycles, so riders must keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times, for example, or must have two brakes). In Australia and New Zealand, for example, they are sometimes "bicycles" and other times "wheeled recreational devices" which must be ridden on the footpath. I've not seen those rules enforced in either country, but they exist. I suspect if a unicyclist was hit by a car they'd be treated even worse than a cyclist in the same position.


Why am I not seeing improvement in my bike split time?

Looking at your times, your times on the bike leg are below the levels you are setting in the other legs. But given that you are barely training for the bike leg, your times are pretty good.
This site says

How long does it take to finish a Half Ironman Triathlon?
The answer, based on our analysis of more than 67,000 finishers in 40 Half Ironman triathlons: about 6 hours, on average.  Swim 1.2 miles in 45 minutes, Bike 56 miles in 3:00, and Run 13.1 miles in 2:15.

In comparison, your swim time is better, your bike time is the same, and you run time is much better.
Your bike legs are 3 hour for 90 km; an average of 30 kph. Since the effort required for a given speed varies as the square (or some say cube) of the speed, riding 10% faster will take 20% to 30% more effort and energy.
To deliver that, you need to train your aerobic capacity to deliver oxygen for your muscles, and you need to train the muscles you'll use for the bike leg to deliver at that level for 3+ hours. These capabilities will not be improved by riding once a month - they will barely be maintained if you ride once per week.
Everybody will have their recommendations, reasons, and ideas. From my experience training with athletes of various levels, including one full Ironman competitor, here is a fairly conservative plan. For you own plan, work backwards from the race date. Work out how, and how much, and how long to taper. Work out what level of training you should be doing at the peak. Plan variation to keep it interesting. Set goals to measure you performance. Build up slowly to avoid over training and injury. And talk to a lot of people about it. A specialized coach would be best.
In the off-season, you should be riding a minimum of once per week for a minimum of 2 hours. About 4 months out from the race, that should step up to twice per week, with one longer ride and one shorter. Gradually increase the longer ride to about 4 hours at a lower intensity than your race pace to build endurance, and on the short ride warm up thoroughly before riding at race pace then cool down thoroughly. Gradually increase the period at race pace.
Two months out from the race, increase to riding 3 times per week. Continue the casual endurance ride as before, but increase the race pace ride gradually until the fast section is 2 hours. Six weeks before the race and 4 weeks before the race, push the race pace training ride so that you do the full course at race pace. The day after every race pace ride, do a short recovery ride. Be aware that people have differing opinions on the topic of recovery rides.
Be very careful not to over-train. Listen to your body. If you need a break, then do it. If you are getting injuries or feel jaded, back off. Assuming all is going well, 3 weeks out from the race is when it's time to get serious. A week earlier, you did the full course. This week do it again at race pace. The endurance ride becomes the previous race pace ride, and the recovery ride is also longer - there is more recovery to do. And now taper - reduce the length of the rides over the next week by 20%, by another 20% in the next week, and another 20% in the race week. Again, people have differing advice on tapering, so do your research - certainly some would suggest that another week of tapering would be better.


Can I swap my fixie frame and still keep all my old components?

It is possible, but not likely economically a good move, especially if you're not doing the labor to swap the bike parts yourself (assuming you own the tool to remove the bottom bracket and what not). The bike is a relatively cheap one (~300 dollars), and you're likely to come out better financially by selling the bike and buying a larger one (which may have some slightly different components spec'd on it, such as different crank arm lengths).

50 cm -> 58 cm is quite a large jump as well, but that is a peripheral point.


How to dress for biking 3 miles to work in 40°F (3°C) and below so not to sweat to much but still keep warm

It depends a lot on you. I live in Illinois and I'll go out in a T-shirt and shorts in the 40's for bike rides.

But if you want some additional warmth in the around 40F and 3 miles, I'd say maybe some thin gloves (I have a set of Underarmour coldgear running gloves which are useful for longer rides in the 30s) and a hoodie - you might be cold for the first 2-3 minutes but then you'll feel fine. If you find that a hoodie leaves you cold for the whole ride, maybe add a wind breaker with some ventilating holes.

In general, you shouldn't dress enough to feel warm when you're getting on the bike. You'll generate some extra heat, so in most cases, the right amount of clothing will make you feel a bit cold for the first few minutes.

A ski jacket is way too much bundling for riding in 40 degree weather (given that its probably overkill for even just standing outside).


Do pedal-driven bicycles exist that can handle highway commutes?

No.

The Tour De France currently has an average speed of about 40km/h, fasted speeds are a team time trial, about 58km/h over 25km. (Wikipedia), average cyclist would be with 1/2 those speeds, average person probably half again. These speeds, while impressive, are well below what I would consider "highway speeds", and the bikes they rode , while expensive enough to expect it as standard equipment rather than optional extra, certainly did not have climate control and power assisted steering

An elite athlete can output about 1000 Watts peak, 700W over 10 minutes, and sustain about 300Watts of power indefinitely.  A normal person half of that*

Climate control in a car requires about 3000W. A small car engine produces about 50000W, a super car engine, 500000W.
The more power you need to go faster climbs exponentially, so a cyclist maintaining say 30km/h needs 10 times the power to go 100km/h (and that seems light to me).

That is presuming all the extras weight nothing and do not increase rolling and aerodynamic losses, but lets argue that those are offset by technology that improves efficiency .

If you want to create a cycle that can cruise at highway speeds, with Climate control and power assisted everything, you will need to create a rider with a power output of about 10kW-20kW. At this time, society will have bigger problems than highway congestion and climate change - like feeding and controlling these 10kW humanoids.

*Actual number may be out by a factor of 10, but  does not change the disccusion.

Also: Note the recent drop in average Tour speed? When did the drug doping scandal happen? I'll let the reader decide.....


What is the maximum number of pucture repairs an inner tube can take?

I would carry at least one unpatched, pristine tube as a spare.  Put the patched ones on the bike or keep for repairs at home.  The idea being that when you need it -- in the middle of nowhere, in the dark and pouring rain -- you're guaranteed that the old patches aren't peeling off or weakened and the tube should "just work".  Then swap it for a patched tube when you get home if you like.


I'd look into a manufacturer that actually makes saddles in different widths, get your sit bones measured, and try one of their recommended saddles.  Keep in mind that there may be a conversion involved.  I rode the wrong width saddle for a year because I assumed that my measurements should match the listed width of the saddle (not true, the company I prefer has a chart and there is basically an offset, ie my 137mm or whichever sitbones actually use a 143mm saddle, not the 135mm one). Here is an example style size chart.

It sounds like you are looking for a particular width, but there wasn't mention of you having your sit bones measured.  If you've done this, but it hasn't worked out for you, I'd be next wondering about abnormal anatomy.  Just like people have different length arms and/or legs occasionally, perhaps your sit bones are not spaced evenly from your midline and you might need to get some inbetween size to accommodate.  There are companies making adjustable width saddles, so that's also something you could look into.


Hold the wheel off the ground.

Spin it.

See how quickly it slows down.

Compare to the front wheel. If it's the same then "you're imagining it".

Make sure you have more than 50psi tyre pressure (20psi and it will feel like treacle)

Next time spend some of your holiday outside of bars and restaurants.


1:1 and similar ratios are considered bad in automotive gearboxes. If there is one bad tooth it will soon take others with it, if it is always meshing with the same teeth. Automotive gearboxes tend to use coprime ratios (where the 2 gears have no common multiple) to avoid this.

There really isn't a similar issue on a bike. I suppose it might be a good idea to have a prime number of links on the chain to even out wear in case of a bad tooth, but the sprockets never come into direct contact, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Resonance shouldn't be an issue. the resonant frequency of the bike is going to be way higher than your pedalling frequency. It'll be in the audio range. Just give it a tap and you may hear it ring.


Does a high MTB seat post risk frame breaking

There is usually a minimum insertion marker on the seat post to indicate the minimum amount of the seat post which should remain in the seat tube.  The frame manufacturer might also specify a minimum insertion depth for the frame.  It is not recommended to run the seat post inserted any less than the greater of these two this as it can put the frame under stress and you risk cracking the frame at the top of the seat tube (I've seen this happen first hand).

Having said that with a 400mm seat post I think you'd be able to have 250mm extending from the frame and the 150mm remaining in the seat tube would be sufficient.  You'd have to check the seatpost/frame recommendations but if I remember correctly the Rockshox Reverb dropper posts have an 80mm minimum insertion depth, so 150mm is certainly not extreme.


How is a frame designed for an easy step-thru?

the step-through height must be no higher than the top of the pedal stroke, since the rider will need to have their foot that high to ride the bike.

The exception, obviously, is bikes for people who can't lift that high but can accept forced motion that high. But those are generally built for rehabilitation rather than primarily for transport, like the one below. Those do tend to be somewhat more flexible than is ideal, and often have quite low rider weight limits.

 (from CyclistChic)


The thread pitch looks too coarse to be metric. Since a 3/8-16 (3/8 inch diameter with 16 threads per inch) was too large I would speculate its' a 5/16-18 (5/16 inch diameter with 18 threads per inch). The standard wrench used with this size nut is 1/2 inch. This is a common size on older American made bikes.


Are Adjustable Stems With Reasonable Merit?

Whether they work: Short answer yes, they do not have major widespread problems. Most problems that do occur are related to undertightening the bolts on them to start with, or adjusting them without following the right sequence (on the ones with the out-of-view bolt underneath the extension) or without proper torque or lubrication. Most of them are designed in a way where they're fairly overbuilt and will get some wiggle long before there's any danger of failure. There are some sketchy ones, but that shouldn't reflect badly on all of them.
They do add a maintenance point and some weight. Depending on a cyclist's priorities that could be a non-issue or a dealbreaker.
Adjustable stems can be a way for multiple riders to share usage of one bike and have the fit accommodate each better. The one-rider-per-bike paradigm has always been more prevalent among cycling cultures that tend towards leisure, and even there we are now in an era where some families are purchasing large, expensive cargo e-bikes for utilitarian purposes such as transporting children, groceries and home goods, commuting, etc. There is often financial and logistical/spatial incentive to buy one that can be shared among family members. Adjustable stems are not a perfect means in all cases to facilitate this by themselves (this could be its own question), since the way most of them work is that you bring the bars way in at the same time you bring them up, but they are part of the toolbox to be sure. In particular, they have limitations when one rider is taller than the other but both want intermediately extended riding positions, but where they're almost the ideal solution is when the riders are fairly close in stature but one prefers or needs a much more upright position.
As for the problem-that-doesn't-exist question more broadly: they can be oversold by manufacturers and dealers as able to solve more fit needs and issues than they're really capable of, but they can also be of use to someone that either needs a very upright position and can't or won't get it any other way, or to someone that may need to start more upright and acclimate downwards a bit and doesn't want to buy new stems along the way. People's physical needs for bike fit do change sometimes; retiree comfort bikes, for example, are a pretty appropriate place for OEM adjustable stems, in my experience.


Safely Switch Bicycles before a Century?

I would strongly advise against that. Your legs are not going to be the problem, and neither is your overall conditioning/strength.

If you are going to be around other riders, you need to be able to stop and start and steer safely. Road bikes steer with your butt while MTB steer with handlebars.  This is a big deal when you are tired and running on instincts. You don't want to crash or cause a crash.

Your core and arms are probably not going to be strong enough to hold you up for a century on a road bike unless you've trained on one. A spin bike could help if you can get a road-bike-position. Also doing lots and lots of planks. Think of riding a road bike in a century like a 4-5hr plank. If you can't hold it that long, you'll start to sit which causes pain in your rump and arms/hands.

Short story:

Ride what you trained to ride, in this case the MTB. I often feel 'whiny' at the 45 mile point and again around 60 miles and again at around 90 or so. Usually eating something fixes it (power bar in my case). Almost like someone lubed my knees or something and I'm raring to go again.  I usually only stop long enough to refill water bottles and carry all my food on the bike.


How are hub dynamo lights wired and why does a rear light cause the front to come on?

Shimano hub generators have an electrically connected axle (stupid but fact, it comes from the time when bicycle lights were connected unreliably using a single cable closing the circuit using the frame). Even modern rear lights have this electrical frame connection, too (B&M Cyo is clean in that matter). This means your circuit is built of two cables and one frame ... which may cause interesting effects.

Make sure that the marked cable (on cable pairs one is usually marked with a white line) connects to the connector marked with the ground symbol ON EVERY COMPONENT (generator, front and rear light).

Another solution is opening the rear light and cut the electrical connection of the screws used to mount the light. This voids warranty but you do not need to pay attention on cable ordering no longer.


Why do Mountain Bike helmets have visors?

One purpose of a visor is to shield the sun like a baseball cap.

There are many factors:

Wind resistance is not as big a factor on a mountain bike (slower speeds).
The more upright position on a mountain bike puts a visor more into
play.
On a road bike the rider is leaning forward and facing down and the visor can even block forward view.
A visor can help keep rain, sprayed up mud, or low branches off the riders face.
Mountain bikers think it's cool?


Park tool has plenty of information on how to do this, including how to cut a fork (and what tools are useful, namely a saw, a vise and a saw guide). They also have other directions, e.g. how to prep a frame for headset installation and what not.

Depending on the tools you have, and how prepared the frame comes, you may want to leave some of the preparation to a bike shop (e.g. very few home mechanics are equipped to ream/face a frame properly).


Do my large and small chainrings need replacing?

No, replacing the middle is pretty reasonable at this point but the others are okay. Little rings in particular you very seldom see someone actually wear out.


What hub to purchase for a GT aggressor?

There are plenty of wheels that will fit that bike, and they may very well be less expensive than having the hub overhauled.

You want to find a 26 inch wheel with an 8/9 speed cassette compatible hub, with 32 spokes ( that's the 32H part )

I actually don't see any on Amazon.com that fit the bill. This is one of those times I would head into the local bike shop to make the wheel replacement process quick and easy.


Replacing 1x SRAM chainset with a Shimano chainset

Unfortunately, the bottom bracket compatibility is an issue.
The Genesis Datum appears to be a gravel bike, mainly sold in the UK. Here is one retailer page containing specifications for a 2019 Datum with SRAM Rival 1x. If this page is correct, you have a Rival crankset with a GXP spindle.
Shimano's cranksets use 24mm spindles. GXP, a standard specific to SRAM, uses a stepped spindle that's 24mm in most places, stepping down to 22mm on one side (I forget which). The bike is listed as having a SRAM bottom bracket, so I'd presume this is a GXP bottom bracket. You can easily adapt a Shimano BB to GXP with the use of a spacer on the 22mm side. If you do indeed have a SRAM GXP press fit BB, then you can't adapt that to a Shimano crankset.
You would need to have someone press out the BB and install a new one to make the Shimano crankset work. You would look for a BB86 bottom bracket. However, note that all BBs are made to accommodate a number of spindle diameters, and you have to specify the spindle type as well as the BB shell type. There are straight 24mm (or similar) spindles and 30mm (or similar) spindles. One issue arises with the "or similar" bit - SRAM have gone to a spindle standard called DUB, which uses a 28.99mm spindle. This gives more room for seals and bearings, and they believe it improves durability versus a 30mm spindle, especially on some BB standards; however, you can generally find reducing spacers to adapt BBs for 30mm spindles to the DUB spindle. The fact that you need to specify two separate characteristics is initially confusing. However, you would specify something like BB86 24mm or BB86 Shimano to look for a BB86 for a Shimano-style straight 24mm spindle. BB86 30mm would pull up results for bottom brackets that fit your shell but are too large for your intended crank.
So, if you were getting a new SRAM crankset, you would need a DUB BB. Your possible options include:

If you intend to mount a Shimano GRX 1x crank, you'll need a BB compatible with Shimano spindles. Aside from that, you should be able to simply swap the cranks in. There shouldn't be any material issues with the chainline, and the chainrings will be compatible. If you are using a standard Shimano road double crank, then the chainline may not exactly match SRAM's intended 1x chainline, but the difference may not be material.

You could find 1x GXP crankarms or a whole 1x chainset in your desired length, whatever the model. SRAM is moving away from GXP as a standard. It's possible that this may impact the availability of new parts, but I think Rival hasn't transitioned to the DUB BB standard yet. It's possible that people are looking to sell off their old GXP stuff. You might consider adjacent models, e.g. Apex cranks. You should be aware that some SRAM cranksets might have 30mm spindles, usually suffixed with BB30. If you get one of these, you'll also have to change your bottom bracket.

I would normally assume that if Genesis specced Rival, they would have used the Rival GXP press fit BB. If they somehow used the Shimano BB with a spacer with an otherwise Rival setup, then you can ignore what I wrote above. However, I don't see this as likely. Component manufacturers offer favorable pricing based on bulk buys. It seems a bit unlikely that Shimano would have offered Genesis good pricing to buy a bunch of orphan RS500 BBs, and Genesis would still have to had to source spacers.


Fix pushchair brake wire with balls at both ends - can my idea work?

As the brake system is designed to fail safe, I think you're good to repair it - carefully of course.

To crimp-splice the cable is perfectly possible. I found these by searching eBay for wire rope crimp (the word "rope" excludes electrical crimps quite nicely).  The 2 mm size should do 1.6 mm cables quite effectively, but if you've got 1.2 cables (as used for bike gears) you might want to get 1 mm crimps as well to see which works better (my daughter's puschair used those).

You probably need to splice in a new length of cable unless you can buy a bike cable with the right end (and you might be able to - zooming in they look like MTB brake cables).

old end   crimp                  crimp      old run to brake lever
↓          ↓                      ↓            ↓
        ______                  ______
O------|      |---          ---|      |---------//---O
    ---|______|----------------|______|---
                       ↑
                  new bit of cable

If there's space I'd double up the crimps on each join, with a few mm gap in between.

The crimp tool probably costs more than the manufacturer's spare part, though a cheap crimp tool for electrical joints might work.  Alternatively I've been successful on similar parts by using blunt side cutters - take a cheap pair of wire cutters and remove the cutting edge. If they're very cheap a file will do, otherwise a grindstone or coarse wet/dry paper.  Then squash each crimp twice at 1/3 and 2/3 of its length.  Squash them hard and pull-test.  If you've got offcuts and spare crimps you can  really put a sample join to the test - it should easily take your weight.

Once again, if this was a pull-to-stop brake I'd be more cautious, but as it's pull-to-release (by your description)  you should be OK.  You do however need to plan and test that the repair doesn't even come close to defeating the spring mechanism.


Is Shimano Claris compatible with disc brakes?

You can use disk brakes with road levers as long as you buy the ones specifically designed to work with road levers. The difference is the amount of cable pull (the distance that the cable moves when you squeeze the lever). This distance is lower for standard road levers than for MTB levers, so the design of the brake has to take this into account. I know that the Avid BB7 brakes are available in road and mountain versions, I'm not familiar with the Shimano line.


Is a car "perfectly entitled" to turn left around cyclist

The UK Highwaycode states:

  Using the road: Turning left
  Rule 182

  Use your mirrors and give a left-turn signal well before you turn
  left. Do not overtake just before you turn left and watch out for
  traffic coming up on your left before you make the turn, especially if
  driving a large vehicle. Cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users
  in particular may be hidden from your view

It seems quite clear to me that the driver should not have pulled up to the right of you, which is essentially an overtaking manoeuvre, if he intended to turn left, no matter what you were planning.


Finding a single speed kit for an old campagnolo from 1997 with screw on freehub

That doesn't look like a screw on freewheel hub, that's an 8 speed freehub designed for a slide on cassette. I have the same one. Its the older design called Exa drive. When Campagnolo went to 9 speed the shape of the spines were changed and made deeper. This is why your conversions kit doesnt work , as its designed for the newer style freehubs. See the page below

http://branfordbike.com/articles/cassettes-and-cogs-pg60.htm

Unfortunately you cannot just swap the freehub body for a newer 9/10/11 speed one as the axles are different sizes. You either need to buy a newer style campagnolo hub, or you can take a cog from a Campagnolo 8 speed cassette and use spacers either side. You may find the chain jumps of the cassette cog though as the teeth are not as deep as a dedicated single speed cog.

If you're buyng a new hub/wheel for single speed you may even want to buy a Shimano one as they are cheaper and single speed cogs are more widely available in a range of sizes.


It makes no real difference - the rollers in a chain turn all the way around, and the wearing surface is the internal diameter of the roller, not the external diameter of the pin.

There are some fancy chains which have a marked outside and an inside, and may state a top and bottom too, but this is more about matching the shifting lands and pins and ramps on a cassette.

Some chains are asymmetric in their outer plates, which looks "wrong" if installed upside down.

Other chains, noticeably half-link or BMX chains can have plates over the top, so the two outer plates are one piece folded over.  This is done for strength, and cannot be flipped either.   These chains don't work with derailleurs so you're unlikely to have one.

 A chain that can be reversed but not flipped.


Am I going to do any damage by swapping cassettes frequently?

The main hazard is that, with so much swapping, you will sooner or later cross-thread the cassette and ruin both cassette and hub.  There will also be additional wear on the threaded surfaces and on the spline, where you wrench it on and off.  The spline may eventually become too worn to allow removal.

So a lot depends on the care you use -- if you get too casual in doing the swap you're apt to muck it up.


I suspect you mean efficiency rather than power.

In my opinion the main trade-off is between increased biomechanical losses at higher rpm (basically muscle friction) and decreased blood flow with higher forces at lower rpm. The balance depends both on the rider and the duration.

In the IHPVA Journal of Human Power, Issue 45(pdf, index here) is a paper called Maximum Human Power where they talk about Tyler Hamilton winning the Mt Washinton climb in 51 minutes:

  "he rode much of the climb, however, in the 23-tooth cog, and made several surges in the 21." If he had 700- mm wheels, as seems likely, his average cadence would have been 63 RPM.

The whole article is worth reading, and it might pay to browse the index for similar papers.

The flip side is that top sprinters often go well over 150rpm in the final sprint. At that point they're trading biomechanical efficiency for peak power. I used to peak at over 900W for 10 seconds (>8W/kg) at around 130rpm, but my hour performance of around 350W used a cadence of about 80-90rpm.

The real answer is specific to you. It will depend on your body shape, muscle type, fitness and more transient factors. It's also a question best answered by experiment, and should be part of your tr4aining schedule if you're competing. If not, I suggest finding a climb you ride regularly and keep a training diary.

There has also been much discussion over the hydration for long climbs. Is it better to hydrate and start heavier, or run slightly dehydrated so you weigh less? IIRC the conclusion was that hydration was better, but I can't find the reference.


Old Soviet Bike - Turist XB3 - What size pedals are these?

While the diameter of pedal axles used on Tourist may be compatible with "usual" ½ inch pedal axles, I would also double check the thread pitch of cranks/pedal threads. Searching through Russian and Ukrainian web pages gives me an impression that the bike has metric thread pitch, when modern pedals are often having thread pitch based in imperial units.

Many people had problems with rethreading the original cranks because they are made of steel, not aluminum, and tend to destroy the tap [2].

I see that some people state that French-made bikes may have compatible pedal thread pitch [1].

http://xt.ht/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=35956#p473958
http://xt.ht/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=308760#p1649565


Fox Talas RLC fork not rebounding, and compressing under no load

I'll try to help, but I'm not sure about EVERY details of your fork, so let's see:

RLC means (adjustable) Rebound, Compression and Lockout.

If it rebounds, there is still some preload on your fork, but if your weight is enough to make it go down, perhaps the preload is not enough. Since your fork is air-sprung, it would make me think of very low pressure on the air-spring compartment.

Lockout works, so there is oil inside, which is the mechanism used by most lockout systems: entirely closing the compression oil valve.

You said PSI is at 90-100, which in some models is too little pressure. I have an RST model which demands me to put 170 psi. In the other hand I had another (larger bore) suspension which was fine with 40 psi. I don't know if this pressure is enough.

Even so, perhaps your model has MORE THAN ONE schraeder valve, so one would be "positive" pressure, the other would be "negative pressure" (or "low speed compression", or any other fancy name the factory creates).

The most interesting part is "it seems to SLOWLY sink when I'm on the bike". See questions later.

I have this questions, which you could put on comments or re-edit your original question:

Do you have the manual, and what PRELOAD air pressure do they recommend for your weight?
Do your model have more than one Schraeder valve? If yes, how are they named, and which one has the pressure you mentioned (where is it located)?
While the suspension slowly sinks, this happens while it is working (absorbing bumps and rebounding back), or just statically applying your weight on the bike while stopped? If you pull it down half travel, does it come back bevore continuing to sink, or continues to sink from this half travel position?

Hope it helps


Did my 2015 rim have wear indicators on the brake surface?

As @abdnChap correctly stated, not all rims have wear indicators, which are usually one or more dimples on the rim or a groove machined around the whole rim. Without a wear indicator, gauging the amount of permissible wear is subjective (unless the rim is cracked, but you don't want to let things get to that point!). So, how are consumers to gauge wear using a ruler?
The image below, from November Bicycles, shows a alloy rim that they describe as being about worn to about half its life. As a side note, they mention that if that were a carbon rim, it would be fairly worn, and they also discuss that once a carbon rim's brake track has lost its initial woven appearance, it's time for a new rim.

The pictures below, from Bike Test Reviews and Bike Touring News respectively, show rims that are worn out.

How long should a rim last? It depends on the rider and the conditions. Dry weather is obviously conducive to long life. As November Bicycles discussed on their blog, some rim alloys are longer lasting, and some are less durable. Because the A310 was not a high-end rim, I wouldn't expect a top-end alloy, but that doesn't mean poor durability.

Supplemental information on Mavic rims
I found a technical document from Mavic. It doesn't say which rims have which type of indicator, but apparently they have used two different types. The traditional ones that I think everyone is thinking of (myself included) are dimples on the rim that wear away as you wear the rim out. When those are gone, you need a new rim.
Some rims had internal wear indicators that appear when the rim is worn out, rather than disappear. The document says that "the inside of the braking surface of the rim is machined on both of the wings of the rim." This post by Cycling UK clarifies that (to me) vague statement; the writer said the notches were on the tire retaining flange, which I assume is the bead hook. So, the indicators should appear on the circumference of the rim.
However, Mavic's wording seems to imply that some rims had traditional (external, in their nomenclature) wear indicators, some had internal, and some may not have had any wear indicators. I've not yet found a list of which rims had which.


What is the average reduction in air pressure for a mountain bike tire?

Continental tire ( they make tubes as well ) states that their tubes loose about 5 psi per week and suggests topping them off on a weekly basis.

This information is not published but they will tell you as much on their support line if you speak German.

For a tube and tire combination, the tube is designed to hold the air in, not the tire and is the point of loss to consider.


Can a freewheel hub be swapped out for a cassette hub?

You say the bike is old, and a 7 speed freewheel hub can be 126 or 130mm over locknut dimension, and the cassette hubs you have will be 135, so that could be one mismatch they saw. But most freewheel hubs on 7-speed bikes from the past 30 years or so have been 135.
Other than that, what you propose should work. The shop might not have realized a conversion of this sort is usually not a big deal.
Note that the flange to flange spacing alone is not exactly what's important. It's the center to flange dimension on each side. Sometimes this is expressed by giving a flange to flange dimension plus an offset dimension, which accomplishes the same thing. But that said, between the hubs in question here, the center to flange numbers are probably almost identical barring an OLD mismatch as above.
Dropping in a new(er) cassette on an otherwise worn drivetrain can cause issues with skipping under load. There are many questions here about this. The shop could have decided to balk at getting into those potential issues.


How to lubricate my double kickstand? (ursus jumbo)

I think you may have a bigger problem. Look at the blue and red circles:

Is something missing? Looking at the original picture from interneat searches it looks so. What is the material of that part? plastic or aluminium/steel? and why it is red itself?
I have the feeling that it does not move smooth because it is not anymore solidly attached to the frame, but it has some play/slack and therefore not opening/closing smoothly.
Check the frame for scratches&co where the red circle should attach. If I am correct, you will find some, in the long term this stand may ruin your frame (---> do not grease it, toss it away or use for some beater).
I hope I am wrong.


Fork light mount on road brake pivot bolt - safe?

I believe it is safe, as the brake's actuation isn't predicated on a flush mounting surface.  The problems you are likely to run into are:

Finding a longer recessed nut.  They only make those in a couple sizes, and you really should have them threaded on quite a bit to be sure they are secure.  You're screwing with your ability to stop here, after all.
Moving the brake ~2mm forward may change the brake pad position relative to the rim.  Just a tiny bit, but it may be enough if you were already at the edge of the brake's ability to reach the rim.

If both of those seem OK and secure, I'd say go for it.


Need help replacing old cassette and chain

If it's 5 speed, it's probably a freewheel rather than a modern style cassette that slides on a freehub.

Park Tools do a tutorial video on how to change one:

Additional information can be found on the Park Tools blog


I've had a bike in storage for over 10 years. What maintenance does it need?

If the bike was in decent shape when put away, and has not been exposed to the weather, there's probably very little that needs to be done.

The tires would be the biggie -- likely they're checked and may need replacement (though not for certain).  Inflate them to listed pressure and check the sidewalls for cracks or bulges.

Assuming rim brakes, the brake pads may very well be hard and in need of replacing.  But you can't tell for sure until you try.

Otherwise, wipe off the dust, inspect for rust, and put a bit of oil on the chain.  Check that the wheels spin freely, with no play in the bearings, and that the steering tube likewise moves freely with no play.

Give it a test ride.  Make sure the brakes work OK and that the wheels don't rub as they turn.  Try a few corners to make sure there are no odd handling issues.

The shifters likely will be balky at first -- run them through their paces a few times.

Basically, if the tires are sound and the steering is good and the brakes are good and there's no massive rust anywhere, there are likely no major safety issues.  Dependability then becomes your concern, since you will be commuting, and there it's mainly the condition of the tires and how well the shifters work.

[I did miss mentioning cable housings.  The cables should be given a shot of spray lube down the housing tubes.  This is often all that's needed to turn a balky bike into a smoothly shifting/braking one.]


What is the name of the manufacturer of this Chinese made bicycle?

Shanghai Forever company ltd
www.forever-bicycle.com

From Time Out Shanghai

  There are many places across Shanghai to pick up classic Yongjiu (Forever) bikes.

And from a post on JLA Forums:


Can I use a rim brake rear wheel in a disc brake bike, for indoor training?

The standard hub width for road wheels with QR is 130mm for non disc and 135mm for disc hubs. Even though you can force the frame to clamp around narrower hub, it is strongly recommended to add spacers to the axle to adjust the width. As mentioned in comments, if you have hydraulic brake it's best to insert a spacer between brake pads so that you do not eject the pistons if you accidentally grab the brake.


Firstly, like what @Michael has said, I recommend dialling in the settings for the derailleur first.
The limit screws can be dialled in easily, and there are numerous guides online, especially from Park Tool.
The B screw is one that you need to play around with too. You need to ensure that the guide pulley wheel actually clears your 30tooth sprocket, and have at least 3mm of space in between.
Secondly, like what @Criggie has said, because it's a new bike, there's sort of a breaking in period for the cables. New cables tend to get "stretched" in the first few rides, therefore losing tension. The loss in tension might be what causes the derailleur to not be able to push the chain up to the 30tooth.
It's easy to re-tension your cable, and there are guides online, such as those from Park Tool as well.
Typically, you can simply turn the barrel adjuster anti-clockwise to increase the tension. But that is for micro-adjustment. If there's a need for heavier tension, it can only be done by undo-ing the cable pinch bolt, and pulling the cable, then pinching the cable again.
Thirdly, is your derailleur hanger aligned? A good way to check is to backpedal. If the chain falls off to a different sprocket when back-pedalling, then it might mean that the hanger is bent. A bent hanger is common, from crash or just bumps onto the derailleur itself. It wreckeds up the indexing of the derailleur, and it could be why the derailleur cannot clear the 30tooth sprocket.
It's easy to fix a bent hanger, just use a big adjustable spanner to bent it back into place (at your own discretion). Or else get those hanger alignment tools such as the Park Tool DAG-3 to bent it back. Otherwise get a new hanger.
Lastly, on the topic of new hanger, a hanger extender might not be the best solution to clear bigger sprockets. I don't know the make of your bike or the hanger compatibility, but a rule of thumb is that the derailleur cage should be as short as possible to accommodate the biggest sprocket you are going to use to avoid compromising shifting performance.
For example, the Shimano 105 R7000 derailleurs. It comes in 2 sizes, the R7000-SS short cage for clearance up to 30teeth, and the R7000-GS medium cage for clearance up to 34teeth. If I am using a 28teeth sprocket, I will choose the short cage version as if the cage is too long the shifting might be compromised.
*but it could just be purely marketing for product proliferation
Point is that whatever your bike came spec'ed with, it is probably the spec'ed that works.
Hopefully this helps, I believe that it might be good to play around the settings on the derailleur first!
Nevertheless, a derailleur hanger extender might be a good choice too, because a new bike part a day keeps the crashes away.


Giant Revolt 2 vs Giant Anyroad 2 drag/roll resistance

If you're measuring on downhills, the Revolt will roll better because it weighs more, not despite it. While objects of different mass will free-fall at the same rate (all else being equal), the mechanics of coasting are different due to the effect of air resistance. A great explanation is available here.

There are better ways than roll to measure a bike's efficiency--like given the same energy input, same speed, and same wind profile (for the rider at least), which one goes farther on a flat surface? Or, given the same energy expenditure and the same flat distance, which one arrives first?

If you're concerned with efficiency, hunching over a bit more for aerodynamics will have much more of an effect than minor differences in rolling resistance, or slight differences in the weight of the bike.


How to protect myself when falling off the bicycle

I suggest following a short course in some martial arts class where you can learn to fall correctly (Judo would be my suggestion)

there is nothing you can read that will prepare you for a fall and that will suppress the reflex to stick out your arm to catch yourself (and possibly break it); only practice will have you instead tuck in that arm provide a convex surface to the ground and roll it out


Correctly and incorrectly mounting a bicycle

I do not buy the stressing argument, any sprint out of the saddle will stress many parts of your bike much more.
I would only be concerned with your stability during that mount and the risk of a fall in harder terrain when running. And the issue of possible slip of an unclipped left foot from a clipless pedal that may not support an unclipped foot enough - that depends on the type of your shoes and pedals.
The cyclocross mount that is most often taught is similar, but from the ground straight on the saddle. Only then you clip both of your feet. But if you dismounted with the usual technique to the left before, your cranks will be in the same position as you have them so if it is easier for you, I would continue using the cowboy mount.


Road bike 1.5" Integrated tapered Headtube to a 1 1/4 tapered Fork compatibility

If the new fork takes a crown race, you can buy a special crown race to adapt 1 1/4" to 1 1/2". [these also exist for 1 1/8"]. Search your favorite buy-everything website for some options. It's a cheap, easy way to do it.
HOWEVER if the ENVE fork has an integrated crown race (which you will have to check with the manufacturer or the vendor), the crown-race type of adaptor won't be suitable. It may be possible to buy a shim (or have one machined) for your frame to take the 1 1/4" bearing but this solution is less commonly seen.


I disagree with the selected answer as most of the provided links are simply opinion without any analytical backing.

In terms of choosing a crank length on the basis of performance, there is very little scientific support for there being any real discernible differences widely used crank lengths (160-180 mm).

For an overview of some of the scientific results, see this set of PowerPoint slides:

http://www.plan2peak.com/files/32_article_JMartinCrankLengthPedalingTechnique.pdf

As well, a good summary of the science, in a readable format, is available on the Cervelo website:

http://www.cervelo.com/en/engineering/ask-the-engineers/crank-length.html

Note that in terms of peak power output power output Martin and Spirduso (2001) found no significant difference between crank lengths of 145, 170 and 195mm.

This leaves the choice more as personal preference which may entail a number of details from fit to riding style and comfort.

Other SE questions covering this subject.

What is the effect of changing length of crank arms?
Why such a tiny difference in crankarm length?
diference between 170mm 172mm 175mm crank arm length on road bike.


Removing cushion from Aldi Bikemate Boodie seat

First, for what it's worth, this is probably a Polisport brand seat, possibly the "Bubbly Maxi" style.  Contacting Polisport (however one might do that) would be more likely to be productive than talking to Aldi.

Unfortunately, I can't make much sense of the pictures.


Caliper road brakes on cantilever specific frame

Typically arms are more up.  Up arms should give you a little better leverage.

Sheldon geometry of cantilever brakes

If the pads are hard then new soft pads will help.

With cantilever you would have the option of running larger touring tires in the future.


upsweep and backsweep for mtb handlebars

From my experience upsweep make you pull easier for drops, manuals and bunny hops, but the other side of the medal is shoulder width. The wider your shoulders, the less comfortable will be upsweeped bars (you will feel your hands bent outwards). In fact when chosing BMX bars every degree of upsweep considered as something about a quoter inch of rise (from the ease of pulling perspective).


Pedaling causes rear wheel/pedals to slip

There could be several possible reasons for this behaviour -

Derailleur could be out of adjustment - can be fixed by barrel adjuster/adjusting the tautness of the shifter cable. You can shift into a cog in the middle of range and visually inspect if derailleur is in line vertically under the cog that chain rests on. When derailleur is properly adjusted, one should be able to spin the pedals backwards freely without the derailleur arm getting stretched/extended.
Your chain could be stretched and/or rear cogs worn. Use chain wear indicator tool to see if chain is stretched and visual inspection should indicate wear on the cogs. Worn out cogs may look sharp and pointy/ like a shark fin.
If you replace the cogs, make sure to replace the chain as well. This helps avoiding undue cog wear due to stretched chain.


Is using hand signals a legal requirement in the UK?

They're in the highway code, but the word "must" isn't used in the online version or my paper copy from 1999, which states:

Turning right
155. Well before you turn right you should
Use your mirrors...
Give a right turn signal

A cycling-specific rule is 52 in my copy (67 in a more recent edition):

52. You should

look all around before moving away from the kerb, turning or manoeuvring, to make sure it is safe to do so. Give a signal to show other road users what you intend to do.

We could argue about whether the should applies to giving a signal -- it certainly would if it was in the first sentence of that bullet point, or a bullet point in its own right, but we dont need to: in the context of the highway code, context must means a legal requirement, while should means if you don't and there's an accident you're likely to get at least some blame.
So no, you're not obliged to.
In fact, in one of these cases (moving away from the kerb) I tend not signal -- because I wait for a big gap, then as the vehicle at the front of the gap passes me, I accelerate hard, with both hands on the bars for control and changing up through the gears.  Signalling after it's passed wastes some of the gap, and theres often no room to signal while it's passing (signalling before it passes would only confuse its driver).
However if there might possibly be traffic about, it's a really good idea, especially signalling right, as that means you're about to move into the path of faster vehicles.  If you're right handed this may take some practice.  So practice somewhere quiet; you'll soon get the hang of it. Try riding left handed with your right hand near the bars, for example. Until you can confidently signal right there may be cases where the only way to go right safely is to stop and cross like a pedestrian.
Never ever assume that drivers react to you looking round.  Hardly any will notice, and they may take their eyes of the road to see what you're looking at.  Even with helmet lights that clearly indicate me turning my head (red rear, amber sides) I've often been overtaken while getting ready for a right signal.
Drivers don't understand cyclists' speed.  You're going so slowly from their point of view that you'd have to be down to walking pace for them to notice.  Moving out into the lane can help.  But you need a good couple of hundred metres gap and visibility even at 30 mph -- I'd signal then too.
A comment on my answer to a related question confirmed that a slowing down signal is very rare.  So don't worry about that one.


You should get to the bike shop and they get you a chain the size you need. If you don't want to go with you bike, take your older chain. For sure it is under 30$. I paid less than 20 for a SRAM chain not long ago.


Barring damage from sunlight or collision, or fabrics rotting from dampness, or abraiding, a child's seat should be usable for decades.

I'd strongly recommend including the child's seat in your periodic M check.  Wiggle it, lift and push on it, look for changes or cracks.  Tug on the belts and make sure nothing's loose.

Store it according to instructions, wash the cloth parts as required and dry them before storage, and you should be okay for an entire generation, and probably the next as well.

Aside - one neat historical record can be to write the child's name and birthdate on the seat in a place where it won't rub off.   I've seen one kids seat with a dozen names on it going back to the late 80s.


For 'classic' cantilever brakes, are cartridge brake shoes better than non-cartridge ones?

There's little difference between the two types as far as braking performance is concerned, as you can easily find the same pad compound in both types. I've been able to easily find Salmon Kool Stop brake shoes that fit the vintage Mafac brakes on my Peugeot 12 speed. That being said, the one issue you may run into is the lack of the correct inserts, which might be the case for your brakes. Even if you are able to find them, you may not have much variety.

Overall, you should use the non-cartridge pads. They're easier to find, relatively inexpensive and should offer you a wide selection. As a side note, you don't need to buy Shimano replacement pads. All that matters is how the brake pads fit into the brake arms.


what benefits do tubeless tyres bring to a 29er trail mtb?

Well, the main advantages of tubeless is that you can run lower pressures (which comes with better shock absorption and thus control) with less risk of flats (though you should always carry a backup tube). I'm not entirely sure on where the truth is in regards to weight, but I don't think its important. The disadvantages are still having to carry a backup tube and the extra complexity of installing the tire.

In any case, if you have tubeless ready rims, its relatively cheap to try running tubeless on your own, so I think giving it a shot is the best way to convince yourself that its worth it or not.


Increase the height of my handlebars to reduce back pain

You need either a shorter (stem)[https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/270/19705]  (brings the bars closer) or to raise the stem.

The age given strongly suggests its a quill stem, and will look like this on the inside.

Back off the clamp bolt  (may be a hex socket or a bolt head) a couple of turns, and then gently tap down on the top of the bolt to loosen the clamp down inside your head tube.   Don't undo it fully unless its seized with rust and you have to get grumpy.

Once loose, pull the stem up a bit and retighten.  Go for a test ride and see how it feels.

WARNING Be mindful of the minimum insertion marks and obey them.

Once you're happy, tighten up the clamp bolt properly after checking the stem and front wheel are in line.  Use a ruler - don't just eyeball it.   Also avoid overtightening the clamp bolt.

If adding height doesn't help, you'll need a shorter stem, or possibly bars with a little more swept-back and some more uplift.  This starts costing money though.


What does error code 30 signal on a Bafang electric unit?

Error 30 suggests a communications problem, a quick google sent me to the manufacturer website with a list of error codes.
Error Codes
I will add more details later if required but for the time being look at the link supplied for more information

It is most likely a simple connection issue.

First unplug and replug all of the connections on your kit including all of the Main Wiring Harness connections (display,
throttle, brake levers) and all of the Motor lead connections with the
Battery and Speed Sensor. Make sure no pins are bent/damaged on any of
the connection plugs and line up the arrows and pins when reconnecting
everything to ensure proper connection.
If Step 1 does not fix the error, check that none of the wiring on your setup is being pinched, especially the cables coming from the
controller. Check to make sure that none of the wiring on your
installation is too taught and is pulling the cables from the
controller.
Open up the controller from the motor core and unplug all of the controller plugs and replug them again ensuring there is no silicone
interference and everything is properly connected.

Info grabbed from above link incase the site goes 404.


Crank arm doesn't go all the way on square taper axle

Crank arm looks like it is actually fully on the tapered part of the axle. Square taper cranks don't mate up to the frame bottom bracket shell, there's supposed to be a gap there.

See: Sheldon Brown's page on square taper cranks/bottom brackets.

The gap does look a bit large to me though. Are you replacing crank arms? (Crank arm in pic looks new.) Is there a difference in fit of new vs old arms?

Update after pic of old crank added.

Wow! You really did let that crank get bad! Old crank arm that badly damaged would sit further onto the axle because the taper has been enlarged.

I'd take the bike to your local bike store and ask them to tighten the crank bolts up to the proper torque with a suitably large torque wrench (they'd likely do this for free or for a nominally small charge) to avoid recurrence of the issue.

Update 2: for reference here’s an old BB and crank I dug out. Bolt is not torqued down, but it shows where crank sits on the taper.


If you cannot comfortably straddle the bike with your feet on the ground it is too big. The bike you have appears to have a nearly horizontal toptube.  As others have said try to return it or at least exchange it for a model that feels comfortable. A model with a slightly sloped top tube may give you a better fit. Don't make your decision based on the stated frame size. Test ride the bike (or several) before making your final choice.


Based on what I saw on the Giant Bicycle site, it looks like that model has braze-ons for attaching a standard rack - so just about any rack will work.  My personal favorite for light use (commuting and short tours) would be the Blackburn EX-1.  If you need additional support for heavier loads there is a model with an extra support strut.

For the panniers, you have a ton of choices and need to weigh factors like size, materials, attachment mechanism, water resistance.

My favorite budget panniers are the house-brand bags put out by REI in the US.
Novara Transfer Panniers

For heavier use, better performance in wet weather, etc, I would recommend you look at bags by Ortlieb and Arkel.

If you are really only carrying the bare essentials, and don't need the full packing volume you could use just one pannier, or you could use a 'rack trunk' that sits on top of the rick similar to this one made by Arkel, or the Novara Commuter Rack Trunk.  My favorite is the Novara because of the side pockets that fold out and expand into mini-panniers.

Good luck with your tour.


Here is my 2c from over 10 years experience in a busy shop:

I am assuming that it is the spokes are breaking at the hub.
On a drive side wheel, that is where they always break.

There is a different rare condition, when the spoke nipples are breaking off at the rim.
Rims have two sets of holes, one set on the each side.
The spokes might be laced to the opposite side of the rim.
I have never seen this from any bike factory, but rather from amateur wheel builders.

When a wheel starts breaking spokes, the spokes are almost always to blame.
Aged galvanized spokes that are gray or rusty can have all kinds of microscopic corrosion fractures at the bend.  If the spokes are not corroded, or were made of stainless steel, it could even just be a bad batch of spokes.

Even if a bad wheel build was the original cause, the remaining spokes are damaged and will break with continued use.  Re-tensioning the old damaged spokes won't help.

I am surprised the bike shop replaced the spokes one at a time after the second time it came back.  If the wheel is breaking spokes, it will continue breaking spokes until the entire set of spokes is replaced.

There is one other possibility with three wheelers.
I have not seen a Schwinn three wheeler up close for 15 years or so, but in the old days they had chromed steel hubs, and those can sometimes be a problem.

If the steel hub has a sharp edge in the spoke hole, that is a stress riser.
The spokes break right where the spoke bend hits the sharp corner.  Aluminum hubs are softer and will deform a bit - no sharp edge, no stress riser, no breakage.

The drive wheel on a three wheeler uses a special hub, special made for that exact trike, so you are pretty much stuck with the hub it came with.

I have lightly chamfered the spoke holes in some problem steel hubs with a countersink bit to remove that sharp edge.  A dab of paint to avoid rust is useful too.

While the chamfering makes logical sense, and those wheels never came back, it is hard to tell if the chamfering did the trick, or if a set of new high quality stainless spokes was enough to cure the problem.

If the trike is only a year old, it should be a warranty repair to get a proper fix, not just one spoke at a time.  Either replace all the spokes with quality stainless spokes, or replace the wheel.  I would trust a new set of spokes more than a replacement wheel.  If the shop won't handle this under warranty for a one year old trike, then contact the shop owner, or go up to Schwinn corporate if you need to.

Hope this helps.


Bormio (Italy) to Annecy (France) multiday bike tour

The most direct route between Bormio and Annecy goes through Switzerland, which has a network of national bike routes which consists mostly of well maintained side roads. One option is to cross the border to St. Moritz, take a combination of these routes to Geneve and ride to Annecy from there (take the shortcut route over Mt. Saléve instead of flatter one). I rode the route 4 some years ago and I strongly recommend it. There is a Swiss cycle route map that shows a list of recommended climbs and shortcuts, which is great for changing the route on the fly.

One caveat is that Switzerland is an expensive country and staying on Italian side of the border might save significant money. Border crossings inside Schengen area are more or less a non-issue.


Options for carrying a smart briefcase on a bike (pannier or otherwise)

Depending on the thickness of your briefcase it may be a solution to hang it under the frame in the main triangle (if it fits there) but since you are thinking about a folding bike it is not a solution.

I've seen something else couple of times - a special carrier for briefcases:

I'm not sure how a folding bike would accommodate such a carrier as it attaches to the seat-stay and the back of the normal rear rack.

Another idea would be to put the front baggage rack and tie the bag there. Not only is this more stable (the bag is "in your hands") but you also have the bag (probably containing important documents) always in sight.

This is what I mean:

But again - folding bike limits your possibilities.


General question about small transmission changes

I would say that changing the crankset by 2 teeth is not worth the money it costs. At least try to only change the chainrings first.

Cassettes are much cheaper so it is more natural to start there. However, your current derailleur has the minimum size of the largest cog 40, exactly as you proposed. It won't do much. So thinkink about also increasing the chainrings is natural.

You can calculate the difference using a gear calculator like http://gears.mtbcrosscountry.com If you keep the the smallest cog 11T, which you have to, only larger chainrings can enable you higher speed in flat sections and downhill parts where you control the speed by your power. The denser cassette can only help you to have smaller jumps between sprockets. But with 11-speeds you don't have too large jumps and off-road you don't need such finer ratios as road racer like.

So in the end the chainrings or, indeed, the whole crankset may be be a better investment.

This is your current setup http://gears.mtbcrosscountry.com/#29/2.10I1931I1370

With 28-38 you would get http://gears.mtbcrosscountry.com/#29/2.10I1542I1370

As you can see, your maximum speed at 80 rpm cadence would increase from 35.9 to 37.9 km/h. That means you could keep your cadence lower at higher speed if you want, not that it would be any easier to go high speed.

Changing the cassette to 11-40 does only a very marginal change and I would only do that when having to buy a new one.