Why is it not recommend to put V brake levers on cantilever brakes?

It's the old lever law: You can either increase force or movement distance at the expense of the other; the product force times distance remains the same.

The V-brake levers pull more cable, so they pull it with less force. If you pull cantilever brakes with a V-brake lever, that force reduction means that you get much less braking power when you put the same force into your grip.

Whether that's a problem depends entirely on you. I have strong hands, and I use good brake pads, so I can easily apply too much force on my V-brake levers, and consequently wouldn't hesitate to use it on a cantilever brake. If you have weaker hands, and/or worse pads, you may not be able to comfortably get enough braking power out of a V-brake-lever-actuated cantilever brake.


Recovery from surgery, and want to race in November

Welcome from a fellow Kiwi - love that area of the country. It should be a great ride - nearly all down hill and relatively flat, however keep in mind the short winter days make it difficult sticking to training schedules......

Between now an  November you have heaps of time to get fit enough for the event. It's 160km for the full event - more than big enough to be a challenge - 9 hours is a pretty generous cut off time,  - especially given the 600 vertical meter overall descent.  The top riders are finishing around 4 hours, so if you can make half their speed you still have time up your sleeve.

If I was in your shoes, I would start by pushing your training time out (preferably on the road, but wind trainer is OK to start with), until you can do 1 hour comfortable. I would use a heart rate monitor if doing indoor training to keep me honest. Outdoor I find it useful but not essential.

I would drop to no more than 3 days a week (With 1 day between - never back to back days). Once you have comfortably gone an hour, something like

Day 1 - Long ride - 5-10% longer each week, slower than race pace
Day 3 - Medium ride - 70-80% of above, slower than race pace
Day 5 - 30% of above at faster than race pace / sprints / interval training.

Optional - Only if feeling good and drop the instant you have any symptoms of over training
Day 2 - Nothing.
Day 4 - Very slow, easy ride.
Day 6 - Very slow, easy ride
Day 7 - Very fast, short ride or sprints- no more than 1/2 hour - ONLY of feeling really good.

The one key ride is the Day 1 - long slow distance. I would aim to be getting it to 140km about 3-4 weeks out from event. If you (honestly) aren't feeling up to it, don't train - over training is your worst enemy. You will drop training rides - it's OK. If you have more than 2 weeks layoff, then you will need to go back a few weeks and built up from there, otherwise, it won't hurt to miss a few, and will do more harm than good if you try to "make up" for it.

There is lots of plans an information out there - read up on a couple and cherry pick what suits you. Be very aware there is a lot of pop-science behind many of these "plans" - base on extrapolating the results seeing a .0001% performance improvement in an elite athlete and then applying that to "You will go faster if you......." Essentially read up on our own Arthur Lydiard - his work in the 60's is the foundation of most training schedules today.

It's essential to build endurance, then build speed.....


Derailleur and back wheel alignment issues

That's one seriously chopped-around bike.  I see a bolt holding the rear derailleur on, on an axis that would normally pivot.   This means your B tension is non-existent or infinite depending on the gear chose.

I also see the hanger well out of position and missing its other bolt.  That means the derailleur is at a funny angle.  Attempted `shopping below:

Additionally, what's that brownish dish thing that is about where the smallest cog would be?  Maybe its supposed to be there to stop the chain dropping off the littlest cog ??

I suspect your chain will also be too long, once this angle is all corrected.

The gear cable outer also looks kind-of lumpy, as though the metal reinforcement is kinked or broken.  This may cause issues, or with friction shifters it may simply provide vagueness while shifting.

The wheel is sliding forward in the dropouts because its either not tight enough, or there's not enough resistance.  I think the axle nuts look like generic hardware store nuts, and will probably lack any serrations underneath.  Some time with a file could restore rounded serrations back to grippier ones, but really some new axle nuts would be better.

  This is your image, simply rotated so its about normal angle.  From this you can see how far back the derailleur is.

Here are some lines drawn on top of your image to show the angle difference:
  That empty little hole in the hanger is missing a special bolt, which stops it rotating around the axle and undoing your axle nut and holds the derailleur on when the wheel is out.

This is a conventional claw hanger - there is nothing special here, these pre-date all the unique weird custom hangers.  These are worth around $5-10 of most currencies - it would be easier to buy a new claw hanger than mess around trying to make that weird nut on the back.

  This mess is a mochup of where your derailler should be sitting, relative to the axle.  This position means there will be more teeth engaged at once with the chain.

Another realisation just now - you have a stiff link in your chain.

This results in a noticeable click or clunky every 4~5 crank revolutions, as this inflexible link passes through the derailleur's jockey wheels.  This is probably the point that the chain was closed up at fitting time, though it can be caused by dirt.

To fix it, grab the chain in your fists on either side and try to bend the chain sideways.  Start with enough force to open a loose jar-lid, and work up to a bit more if the chain doesn't come free in that link.

And finally - you say that the loose bearings are something to live with now.  I suspect this wobble is also contributing to the sloppy gears, because as the wheel moves it will move the whole cassette too.   I would totally recommend tuning up the bearings, and perhaps a clean and re-grease if you possibly can.

In summary - I think this is fixable.  It will never be perfect, but I'm sure it can be better.


What is this Allen bolt on my novatech freehub, and what does it do?

I think it holds the spring in place and prevents it from rotating.
Found the spring as Spare Part. It would also makes sense as the ring has only one opening that is were the bolt is.

I would turn it so it sits flush with the freehub outer body so it can rotate without scratching the hub body.


Are there road bike tires invulnerable to popping?

At risk of being downvoted, you don't want want solid tires. There's a reason that all performance tires for all vehicles are pneumatic. The decrease in compliance of a solid foam or rubber tire just doesn't compare to a pneumatic tire.
Look into a tire with kevlar reinforcement- most brands have them- or aftermarket anti-puncture tire liners that sit between the tire casing and your tube. You may even want to try a tire sealant like the one made by Stan's NoTubes, though if you're running tubes you'll need the kind with removable valve cores.
One last thing to note is that the number of flats you're getting may depend on what part of the road you're riding on. If you're riding to the right of the white line (assuming you're in the US), ie on the shoulder then you're going to get a lot more flats. The shoulder is where all the debris accumulates even if the road looks clean. For many road riders, especially those who are just starting and don't feel comfortable riding on the road, simply switching from riding on the shoulder to riding to the outside of the actual lane alleviates a substantial portion of flat issues.


How do I determine what types of maintainence I need to perform?

Know what pressure your tires should be at (range is written on the sidewalls). Check and re-inflate tires to proper pressure every ride, or every couple of days if you are riding regularly. You'll soon find out how often tires need some air.

Check and adjust brakes.

Clean chain, sprockets, idlers, chainrings; re-lubricate the chain. How often depends on how much you are riding and in what conditions.

Generally keep the bike clean.

Adjust derailleur indexing as needed. Check chain wear.

Periodically, check for rattles, and anything loose. Once a bike starts to get some miles on it you can check headset, bottom bracket, wheel bearings for play. Make sure pedals are tight in the cranks. Check wheel rims are true.

Eventually you start wearing things out: brake pads, tires and chain are the primary wear items. If shifting accuracy is suffering changing out cables and housings is necessary. Brake cables and housings can also be replaced.

There are plenty of guidance videos on YouTube to help you with specifics of all of the above. Personally I like the Global Cycling Network Tech and Park Tool's YouTube channels (and articles on their web site). I'd definitely recommend learning how to clean you bike properly as it has a substantial effect on how it performs.


Are most bikes' paint jobs not as durable as they used to be?

Price.  A combo undercoat/primer, a top coat, and a lacquer/transparent would be the norm.

In the 80s, a nice bike might have had 10 very thin spray coats with multiple clear coats on top, most of which were over the decals/transfers.  This represents a lot more work, time, and materials.

In addition, the older bikes would have been steel, whereas the newer bikes are possibly aluminium now which doesn't hold paint as well, due to microscopic differences in how the paint keys into the surface.


Sealed bearings characteristics for road bike wheels?

This answer will be updated if and when I find more information. Please note that I'm not a bearing expert. If anyone has supplemental information, I'd welcome hearing about it in comments or in another answer!

Dimensions

The bearing dimensions are the first obvious parameter you should pay attention to, just to make sure you buy the correct ones for your wheel. The first video that @Greg posted discusses bearing sizes, which are denoted by the numbers in the bearing model. An interesting point: 69103 bearings are apparently equivalent to 6903 bearings, i.e. the bearing outer diameter (30mm), inner diameter (17mm), and depth (7mm) are identical. In fact, someone with Fulcrum wheels asked this on a forum and was told that they are identical. This may aid you in finding bearings from different manufacturers, although my impression is that SKF is generally a good manufacturer.

Sealing

In summary, most cartridge bearings have seals on one or both sides. For winter riding, you want to make sure your bearings seals are good, preferably full contact. Determining what is a good full contact seal may be difficult, however. To some extent, you can trade sealing for friction, and this tradeoff clearly matters if you are building a bike specifically to challenge the hour record. For practical use, the watts saved aren't worth the risk of damage due to contamination or the additional drag. Even for a pro racer, poor sealing will lead to additional contamination, which could cause greater drag.

All bearings have seals to keep contaminants out of the bearing, and the grease inside it. Generally, going from least sealing to best, there are non-contact bearing shields, low-friction and non-contact rubber seals, and full-contact rubber seals. Bearing shields do not touch the races of the bearing (i.e. parts that touch the bearing bore and the axle), and they offer the least friction. The full-contact seals offer the greatest friction. That said, the friction gained versus a low-friction seal could be something on the order of magnitude of 1-3W per hub. This is a very small difference. I am basing this off a podcast by Friction Facts (podcast #8, I believe), and I will cite this when I can retrieve the source. Phil Wood's site explains that they have two bearing types: standard bearings with full contact seals, and another bearing for races and fair weather than has a partial contact seal. A page by SKF briefly describes the types of sealing available for bike bearings.

You can sometimes deduce the type of bearing seal using the letters after the bearing's size code. However, the codes may be unique to each bearing manufacturer. Adam Kerin of Zero Friction Cycling says that the suffix -ZZ almost always denotes a non-contact shield (see the paragraph at the very end of the linked PDF), but you don't want this type of bearing anyway as it doesn't offer sufficient protection. Post 16, by Josh Poertner of Silca, on this Slowtwitch.com thread appears to corroborate this also.

Bearings can also be sealed on one or both sides. A 6903-1RS bearing would have a rubber seal on one side. I believe the other side is open to the elements. In contrast, 6903-2RS bearings have rubber seals on both sides. I think that 1-RS bearings should have lower friction than bearings sealed on both sides. Enduro says that they offer some bearings with a full contact seal on one side and a medium-contact seal on the other sided. This is a possible compromise between friction and protection from both sides. As Kerin (link above) discusses, the exact type of seal can vary considerably from manufacturer to manufacturer, but he feels (based on experience) that -2RS shields from cycling manufacturers are likely to be low-contact seals, but among generic bearing manufacturers, -2RS might be anything.

From some sleuthing, it appears that Fulcrum's freehubs may have been equipped with -1RS seals. This YouTube video by Cycling Weekly offers a guide for servicing Campagnolo and Fulcrum freehubs. Starting at 6:12, the presenter confirms that the two cartridge bearings in the freehub (at least the one he serviced) are sealed on one side only. He says that he doesn't see the point in sealing on the other side, as it's not exposed to dirt ingress.

I am not positive about this. Say you get water inside the freehub. Depending on how you move the bike around, it might then intrude into the bearings from the unshielded side. I don't know how big an issue this could be, and I'd welcome other users' comments. In this thread on the BikeRadar forum, one commenter (Cyclobob) basically said what I did (water will eventually ingress through the unprotected side).

You might check the seal types on the bearings you ordered. The previous version of this answer said that I would be surprised if you had got -1RS bearings to begin with. I may have overstated things there! Nonetheless, if you have been getting -1RS bearings, then considering that you want to keep riding in the winter, it might be worth seeing if -2RS bearings improve durability. If you got bearings with low-friction seals, then you definitely want to find a full-contact seal.

This recorded conversation in the newsgroup rec.bicycles.tech (credit Sheldon Brown's site) alludes to some bearings with double contact seals or labyrinth seals. I have not yet found a cartridge bearing designation that specifically says they have these types of seal. It may be that there is not enough room in the common cartridge bearings to place seals like these and to maintain sufficient ball size to bear the loads. Or it may just not be common practice yet.

Grease in the bearings

Bearings are filled with grease. They may vary in the amount of fill. Less grease may produce less friction up to a point, but this will probably protect the bearings less. Phil Wood's site says that their fair weather racing bearings are 30% filled, and their regular bearings are 100% filled. On Slowtwitch.com, Josh Poertner posted that typical industrial bearings are 20-25% filled because they spin very fast and will eject grease if filled more. In contrast, bike bearings need a higher fill proportion, which adds miniscule drag but which prevents contaminant intrusion. He did not specify how much, but maybe more is better. If you over-fill the bearing, presumably it would eject the grease and you'd need to clean it up.

I'm not seeing fill rates specified on most of the bearing sites I've Googled, so I'm not clear how consumers might obtain this information. Nor is it clear what an optimal fill rate would be.

Note that it's possible to re-grease cartridge bearings. This involves picking one of the rubber seals out, cleaning out the grease, and injecting new grease. Do be careful not to damage the seal, but I believe careful use of a pick tool, or perhaps a pair of tweezers, would be sufficient. This Global Cycling Network YouTube vid demonstrates how to do this. They extracted the bearings from the hub before servicing. This vid by November Bicycles makes it clear that you may not need to remove the bearings, but it may depend on where they're situated. You could try re-greasing your bearings, perhaps halfway through winter.

One industry development that might be worth paying attention to is encasing the bearings in an oil-soaked polymer. SKF appears to have pioneered this design for use in food services, but it may be starting to move to bikes. As far as I can tell, the bearings are encased in a polymer that takes up all the free space inside the cartridge (recall: we would otherwise fill part of this space with grease). SKF argues that the polymer insert plus the external seals mean that contaminants physically can't intrude into the cartridge bearing. Normally, if you pressure wash the bike, the water might force the lip of the seal inside the bearing, but they think that there simply isn't any room for that to happen with this design. These bearings are cheaper than ceramic bearings, but are still fairly expensive. This development may be worth watching.

Manufacturing tolerances?

Manufacturing tolerances for the bearing could be an issue. For example, your 61903 / 6903 bearing has an outer diameter of 30mm. Really, this is 30.0 +/- x millimeters. If the bearing is too big for the hub's bore, this could be an issue. Most likely, some manufacturers have worse tolerances than others. However, I don't think there's a way for consumers to know this information. About the only thing you have to go on is general reputation. For example, SKF and Phil Wood have (as far as I know) good reputations.

Also, the tolerances of the hubs could be an issue. If the bearing seats aren't quite parallel, or if they're misaligned, this could cause your bearings to wear out faster. Again, I don't see a way to tell as a consumer.

Theoretically, a bike store could measure bearing sizes with an accurate pair of calipers as they come in and keep logs, but how many stores have time to do that? Relatedly, I think that Hambini has a video where he compares the variance in bottom bracket shell diameter among small samples of some common bike manufacturers, but again, it is hard to get a big enough sample as a consumer.

Bearing roundness (ABEC scale) - don't worry about this

You may see some bearings that are specified as ABEC-5, for example these units sold by Jenson USA (link only for example purposes). The ABEC scale is an ordinal rating of how round the balls are. The grades go 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. My impression is that this is only one of a number of important characteristics for bearings in general. I think bike bearings may usually be grade 3 or 5, and that higher grades may offer no advantage for bikes. Our bearings don't rotate as fast as industrial ones). This online retailer and this article by Bike Radar seems to align with that point.

Bearing loads - this is a function of the hub design, and you can't change this post hoc

Last, the feedback I've got from mechanics and wheelbuilders is that small bearings will wear out faster. Adam Kerin (same link as before) appears to corroborate this. A bearing needs adequate size to bear the load. This isn't an issue with your hub, but I've had an ultralight front hub with 688 bearings. Kerin specifically calls them out as inadequate, and indeed, my hub bearings wore out very fast. You can't change the size of the bearings in the hub, and 6903 is a pretty common size for a rear hub anyway. However, where they're placed in the hub might make a difference, and also how many there are.


How can one maintain cycling fitness as one ages?

Just to get started with a couple of things I already do.

Strength training with some emphasis on lower body. Since cycling is not a weight bearing exercise, older cyclists are at a greater risk for pelvic, hip and leg fractures.
An advanced dynamic flexibility routine in order to maintain mobility, coordination and balance.

Update
As noted by darkcanuck's comment below, cycling as a cause of bone loss may very well be incorrect. In the article, Dr. Mirkin advocates vitamin D supplementation to prevent bone loss, and I've also read other sources recommending the same thing. So, probably a good idea especially for those in Northern climes.

As for strength training, I have other reasons for how it's been beneficial for cycling as I get older.

One is that a few years ago I was experiencing considerable neck/shoulder pain on long rides. At the time I was spending long hours at the computer and cycling was my dominant physical activity. I came to the conclusion that my neck/shoulder issues were posture related and so developed a strength and flexibility program to correct my posture. In doing that I have been able to eliminate the pain and now ride comfortably on long rides.
Another issue that developed a year or so ago was knee pain. After seeing my doc and a physical therapist, I was prescribed a new 'hip' focused addition to my strength routine. Apparently I had some muscular imbalances related to cycling. Since starting this new routine 6 months ago, the knee issues are significantly improved.

For further info on strength training for older, and even younger cyclists, here's an article from Velonews.


You need to read about derailleur adjustments. The first thing to do is check that the rear derailleur is not bent. If it is, you need to unbend it.

Once that has been determined, you can read up on rear derailleur adjustments and front derailleur adjustments. I'm including cable tension as a derailleur adjustment.

Other problems may be cable friction (replace the cables) or the shifter pawls not catching (replace the shifters). But start with the derailleurs.


As ojs says in comments - depends on the derailleur, but it's very likely that you would have to swap the derailleur to accommodate an 11-32 cassette. Older 9 speed groupsets were not designed for wider range cassettes, they had small gaps between ratios instead. You may be able to get away with a 12-28 though.

The derailleur specs you need to find are: max rear sprocket size and total capacity. Total capacity must be equal to or larger than (largest sprocket teeth - smallest sprocket teeth) + (large ring teeth - small ring teeth).


New headset cups loose against the frame

What the LBS may intend to do is add some Loctite or similar chemical retaining compound. The compound is going to glue the cups into the headset. The material will fill in the very small space between the two pieces. The space may be due to machine tolerances with the frame being on the large side of the spec and the headset on the small end of the spec or previous damage to the frame.


Yes it has in fact happened several times, the most recent ones being 2017 (Chris Froome), 2006 (Óscar Pereiro after Floyd Landis was disqualified) and 1990 (Greg LeMond). Before that, the TdF was also won without a stage victory in 1922, 1956, 1960 and 1966. (see here).

For your second question, Wikipedia has a list for the

Giro (1913, 1946, 1951, 1961-63, 1969, 1971, 1999, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015)

and the Vuelta (1955, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1990, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2015).

(To keep to the same format, here's the TdF again): 1922, 1956, 1960, 1966, 1990, 2006, 2017.

So, the Giro has been won 14% of the time by someone who didn't win a single  stage, while for the Tour this has only happened in about 6% of cases. For the Vuelta, it's close to 13%.


What's causing my thumb tremor after riding?

The lack of padding on your gloves is unlikely to have been the problem in such a short ride. The lack of grip in adverse weather conditions is more likely to cause it. You mentioned that you were holding the bars very tight. With typical stock handlebar grips it's perfectly possible to apply a lot of pressure on the nerves at the base of your thumb, and this can cause numbness and loss of control.

The good news is it should get better fast. When I've had this issue (often sweaty hands and unexpectedly rough terrain) it's faded within a couple of hours. Others report it taking a bit longer.

There are several things you can do:

In warm/dry conditions bare hands have decent grip.
Bike gloves don't have to be expensive. My good gloves were under £/€/$10 on eBay.
Even minor changes to your hand position can relieve the pressure.
Riding one handed allows you to flex and relieve the other hand. It might seem unrealistic when you've just started riding but it's a useful skill, essential in traffic for signalling where you're going. Practicing riding with one hand while the other hovers near the bars is a good start and will help your hand.
Ergonomic grips spread the pressure, and provide more hand positions on flat bars. I've used the Ergon GP2 and GP3 with bar-ends on my hybrid, and they're good for riding all day.
Adjusting the bike to fit (especially so you're not using your hands to stop yourself sliding forwards all the time) will also help. This is something you can do yourself or with the help of a friend, but you'll need some longer rides to test it.

Finally if it doesn't get better within a day or so this time, or keeps coming back, you may need to get it checked out


What is the correct kind of hitch receiver that works with my bike rack?

As Daniel R Hicks writes, any sturdy 2" receiver hitch should work, ** as long as it fits your car **. Hitches are usually specific for one or a few car models.
Hitches are designated according to the width of the square receiver opening. 1.25" hitches are typically lighter than 2" hitches, but are also less robust and can't support as much weight. Since you are getting a heavy-duty rack to carry heavy e-bikes (80 lbs/bike max vs. 35 lbs/bike max on a "normal" rack), you need the strength and weight capacity of a 2" receiver hitch.
As mattnz notes, a bike rack slotted directly into a hitch receiver will generate higher torque forces on the pitch axis (rotating forward/back) than would be the case with a standard tow ball/trailer combination. The hitch needs to be even beefier to withstand these higher torque forces.
The hitch specifications will probably indicate a maximum "tongue weight" which is the maximum weight pressing down on the end of the hitch that it is rated to hold up. The larger the tongue weight rating, the better, as the weight of the rack and bikes will essentially be tongue weight.


Minor hamstring pull, can I keep going at easy pace?

Probably best to see a doc.

But it would probably work to lay off for 3-4 days (at least until you can gently cycle without immediate pain), then start up again, being careful to limit the stress on the area.  If your pain level stays low then SLOWLY work up, otherwise back off or stop (and see the doc).

You should probably find some stretches (from a PT or maybe on the web) to "balance" the muscles in the area.


How to fix ripped out ball joint in indirect under seat steering recumbent

What you have there is a ball joint (sometimes called a tie rod end)  on a push rod (or track or tie rod) for indirect steering.

I'm astonished it could pop out that easily - Normally they're very secure.

Here's what a car one looks like when exploded.  Yours will be similar but much smaller and lighter.

I think you need a replacement ball joint. These are the same as ones used in car steering systems, and they are unserviceable. You generally cannot disassemble them without destroying the seal - all you can do is grease them via a grease nipple, if they have one.

The old parts should unscrew from the track rod end (there may be a clamp or retainer screw) and from the fork's arm. On a car, you use a Ball Joint Splitter to get the ball part out of the arm. The hole has sloped sides for an inference fit once tight, just like the sides of a square taper are sloped. In the exploded pic above, the slopey sided bit is clearly visible between the ball and the threadded part.  Yours will likely be too small for a car tool.

This is a Ball joint fork - hammered in.

And this is a ball joint separator which levers the ball out.


Is it cost efficient to Convert a Huffy Mens mountain bike to a road bike like the one I rented at Orange Peel in CO?

You can put smooth tires ("slicks") on a mountain bike wheel rim instead of the usual "knobbies". These slicks can be in the typical 1.95" mountain bike tire diameter, or you can go narrower down to 1.75".

Regarding the bikes in the garage which needs brakes, seats, tires and possibly gears; those are not very expensive items. Tires are about twenty dollars; used seats in good condition can be had for a few dollars.

If you'd like higher gear ratios, it is not expensive to swap a casette or freehub. Find out which one your bikes use. Probably, I would guess, these mountain bikes have thread-on freehubs that remove with a FR-1 tool (which should cost under $10, and needs a big wrench to go with it). A new freewheel hub costs about $20 to $30, and gives you an opportunity to increase the gear ratios. The swap is a five minute job.

However, once the repair budget for some cheap old mountain bike surpasses about $50, it quickly stops making sense. Instead of spending $100 on maintenance, you can get something newer and in better condition for $75 and spend $25 on it, ending up with a better bike.

How much is your time worth? Many DIY-ers make the mistake of treating their labor as being free, and only counting the cost of tools and materials! "Look at the bike I put together with a $100 budget!" (And with only 20 hours of my "free" time put in).


Cannot reach the bearing adjustment nut on rear wheel

You could adjust the other end instead, so long as the cassette locknut is already tight against the cone (if it isn't, take the cassette off and do that first).

http://sheldonbrown.com/cone-adjustment.html:
"For cassette hubs, or conventional rear hubs that I want to adjust without removing the freewheel, I use a thin 15 mm wrench and the two 17's.

To loosen this type of hub, I usually do have to loosen the left locknut from its cone, loosen the cone, then re-tighten the locknut. To tighten it, the two 17's on the locknuts do the job quickly and easily."


There are two answers to this question:

(Money no object)

Go out and buy yourself a carbon frame with all the trimmings. If you want to race, there is no better hardware option.

(Money important)

you say you haven't even begun to race yet. How do you know you'll like it? How do you know you'll be any good? If you go down a carbon route, you're talking about a serious investment which could possibly end up gathering dust in your garage. Frankly, you should consider a steel bike at this stage. When you're losing races because of the weight of the bike, then it's time to upgrade.

Be careful with something like bike racing, it will eat up your every last penny if you're not careful.


Can I use Giant Talon as a road bicycle?

Can I use it (Giant Talon) for road and streets now?

Yes you can. Here's your bike (if you have a 2020 Talon 2)

There are some good reasons to use a mountain bike as a road touring bike. Here is one example:

And they make fine commuter bikes.

Sometimes people will put drop handlebars on their mountain bike for better aerodynamics. Sometimes, as you have done, people will use narrower smoother tires.

It's all about trade offs
A pure road bike will be more aerodynamic and be configured (weight, riding position, gearing, etc.) for a higher top speed.

A mountain bike will give you more ruggedness, (given the condition of roads in some places this can be a big bonus) a lower top speed, and more comfort. If this meets your needs you will be happy.

Ride what you have and learn
At the end of the day ride what you have and learn what does and does not work for you and adjust along the way. Saddle time is the best way to learn.


Why would 6 stops on a Shimano shifter travel 7 cogs with a Shimano derailleur?

Sounds like you bought the wrong shifter.  The "ST-EF500"  is available in both 7 speed and 8 speed
A 7 speed shifter has 7 resting positions, and will click 6 times across its range. ST-EF500-7R4A
Likewise, an 8 speed shifter will click 7 times.
ST-EF500-8R4A
If your cassette has 8 cogs total, then you need an 8 speed shifter.

If you're totally stuck with these parts, you could make them work somewhat by ignoring one outside cog.  The inter-gear spacing between 6/7/8 speed is the same, and the cassette gets wider as gear count increases.
Conversely, 8/9/10 speed cassettes are all the same width, but the inter-cog spacing decreases.
You could choose to disregard either the top or bottom gear, and index the other seven.  If you never spin out while riding, then exclude the smallest cog.  If you never ride up hills and need a low gear, then exclude the largest cog from indexing.
This is not an ideal solution - the correct shifter would be best.


Patches are simply rubber with some vulcanising agent pre-applied.

The differences between cheap knockoffs and quality patches are exactly that - quality control.  Of your 48 patches, some number might be a bit thin or thick and are useless.  Or the "glue" isn't well spread, or has set or gone off.

Sometimes the thickness/cut of the patch is substituting quantity for quality, so a thicker heavier patch makes up for lower-quality rubber.  And more "glue" makes up for thin sloppy glue.

But for 1 local-currency, its not a big risk to buy some and use them.  I've got one tube with at least 10 patches around it, in use perfectly on a MTB.

As an aside, you can even make your own patches using pieces of old inner tube.  Simply cut a good shape, buff the inside to remove the oxidised rubber, apply vulcanizing agent and allow it to dry.  Then do the same to your punctured tube.


Precautions when riding in long-term low visibility

Adjust your speed for the road/trail conditions, especially on shared trails; they are not meant for "high" speed cycling.

Anecdotal, in Montreal, on the mountain, there's a gravel path, the Chemin Olmstead, shared by everyone, walkers, runners, cyclists and families, when cycling, it is understood that we should go slow, going and more especially going down.

If the trail is not large enough and you are forced to dismount and walk, then you should not bike on it.

In the fog (and night), you need to make yourself visible, wear some reflective clothing/harness/sash and have some small blinking lights in front and back of your bike (blinking is better than always on lights)

As for the music, I would advise against it, it is annoying as heck and it not a safety plus (IMO).


What's the purpose of the channel in the brake track of this rim?

It's a wear indicator. The friction of the brakes gradually abrades the rim away and the track lets you see how fast that's happening.  Once the rim has worn enough that the track is very shallow, the wheel is starting to lose strength and should be replaced.

For wheels that don't have a wear indicator groove, you can detect wear by holding a straight edge radially against the rim. Worn rims will have a concave profile, since the brake blocks don't rub evenly across the whole surface.

Of course, this is irrelevant if you're using anything other than rim brakes.


It seems that after all was said and done - putting the new crankset on another bike showed that the creak followed the crankset. Thus, the issue was a poorly bonded/other issue with the right crankarm or power meter.

My stock PF90BB was a bit loose as well, so the Token BB mentioned above was another benefit (and better design IMO).


MTB: choosing trajectory (line) through a turn

Cornering is an essential mountain biking technique, regardless of the type of turn you're going into.

Scenario 1: Turn to obstacle
With clear visibility you should make the turn so the exit lines you up for how you plan to ride the upcoming obstacle. Usually this means taking the turn wide (high) so you can pull the bike back into line easier.

Scenario 2: Single turn
A single turn leaves you with only one decision: fast or slow? The lower you go through the turn, the tighter the radius and the more speed you will carry (conservation of momentum). But like any type of riding, maintaining control at speed can be difficult, which may cause you to take a wider line.

Scenario 3: Turn to turn
Consider an S-curve. You'll want to kind of approach it with the idea of slaloming through the turns. This means picking whichever line will bring you into the entrance line of the next turn. Again, this usually means riding further out, then coming back in to the entrance of the next turn.

Lastly, as you mentioned in example 1, there are times when the other side of the berm isn't so pleasant if you happen to overshoot. Here it's about how much courage you have! If you have the skills and want to ride high then go for it, otherwise scrub a little speed and take the tighter line. And really, there's always the ideal situation, then there's what happens on the trail, which is often very different from how the ideal works.


How can I evaluate a used road bike i intend to buy?

Check the bike is the right size for you

If the bike is still on sale commercially, check what the new price is. You can find out about many brands/models from bikepedia.com

Find out what components (gears and brakes) it has and what they'd cost new (by Googling)

Check for any hairline cracks in the frame, especially around the head tube, bottom bracket and the top of the seat tube. You shouldn't ride a bike with this kind of damage, let alone buy it.

Check the rims for signs of wear - for example a pitted or deeply scratched surface, or concave feel indicates significant use.

Check the cassette for signs of wear - the teeth should be symmetrical, not sloping more sharply on one side than the other. Scroll down Sheldon Brown's article on chains for more detail and pictures.

Items like saddles, pedals and bartape can easily be replaced, but you should know in advance what this might cost.

Also see this answer on evaluating a road bike.


How to get over anger at inconsiderate drivers

After 50+ years as a cyclist, this is my approach -

ride according to the conditions
ride in reasonable proximity to the curb
if safe, move over a little as traffic approaches
know where I'm going, and do it assertively
if somebody honks / shouts / waves, assume that they must be a friend, or are telling me something important, so smile broadly and wave enthusiastically in return


Answer:: 80's road bike with modifications

I'm guessing its an 80s road bike that has had the drops, quill stem, shifters and brake levers swapped out for a flat bar from a more modern MTB.

That's a gorgeous steel lugged frame

No bottle mounts are in the frame, which is why a PO has fitted a strap-on bottle cage.

Frame pump mounts also went out before the 90s, as did the uselessly-short mudguards.

That rear light looks like its powered by D batteries. so will be heavy.  I'd swap it for a pair of efficient LEDs, for safety when riding at night, unless you're trying for a period bike.

The cranks are cotterless, so its no older than the 80s or that was also changed - there's a triple chainring, which may have been fitted with the MTB bars or may be original.

There may be more info in the rear cluster/cassette and the rear derailleur, and the brand/model of brake calipers.

If it runs okay then air up the tyres and ride it.  I'd suggest changing all four brake pads, and examine the tyres for deterioration.

If the tyres are getting iffy, consider replacing the whole wheel with a more common 700c aluminium rim.  Those 27" wheels look like chromed steel and wet weather braking is wishful thinking!  Downside of this is the brake calipers may no longer reach a slightly smaller wheel and may not have as much pressure under braking.


How to repair pedal snapped off crank arm?

If there is a substantial length of axle sticking out of the crank the easiest approach is to remove the crank, grip the axle stub in a vice and turn the crank to unscrew it. You may also be able to use a vice-grip wrench instead of a bench vice. Remember that the left crank has a left hand thread.

If there is less axle sticking out: file a couple of parallel flats for an adjustable wrench. You might be able to use a Dremel or similar rotary tool to grind a slot for a large screwdriver.

If the above approaches do not work, the axle will have to be drilled out.

Steel pedal axles are far more robust than aluminum alloy crank arms, so hard to imagine the crank is not damaged also. If the pedal axle thread looks damaged at all, toss the crank - unless you want to attempt re-drilling and tapping it with a helicoil. If the crank is bent or cracked it needs to be replaced.


From the perspective of a cyclist, what is a common way to hydrate throughout the day?

Very unlikely you were dehydrated from such a short ride. If you were dehydrated post ride, you almost certainly started out dehydrated.  Humans evolved to the top of the food chain by drinking when thirsty, the advent of the '8 glasses a day, drink all the time' has been popularized in my lifetime (First references appear to be a 1945 FDA recommendation), is controversial and largely debunked.
Worth a read.. but this is just one of thousands saying the same thing .
(https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Gyn/ObgynClinic/8GlassesWaterMyth.pdf)
What I believe has happened is some people have lost the ability to listen to their body and know when its time to drink, and are so used to drinking a measure amount to a clock they now mistake the sensation of thirst for dehydration.
So how much to drink....
Drink when you are thirsty.  Use the color of your urine to tell you if you are drinking too much or too little.  Personally, if I am about to head out on a long event then I preloading a day or two before - Buts thats mostly because I tend to not drink enough, so the conscious effort is need to ensure I do not start out thirsty.
With all that out the way, say you really were dehydrated, not just hungover (which is mostly dehydrated with toxic by products of metabolized alcohol), had Covid19 or one of many other medical conditions that cause headaches, what to do...
Rehydrate with water if its mild. If you want to rehydrate quicker, or it is moderate, rehydrate with an isotonic drink. Do NOT consume energy drinks, they use more water than they provide.  Drink until you pee, then drink another litre is a reasonable point. You are recovered when your pee returns to normal color.
If the dehydration is severe, then you need medical intervention, likely a saline drip (Speaking from experience, magic, but like any medical procedure, negative side effects are always a possibility so should be avoided whenever possible)


BB86 bottom bracket with BB386 crankset?

There is a good guide on existing bottom brackets standards.

An excerpt from it: "The BB386 EVO cranks are compatible with almost every BB shell standard (BSA, BB30, PF30, BB86)," says Jason Miles of FSA. "We currently make bottom brackets and adaptors for BSA, BB30, and PF30 frames and are working on BB86 bottom brackets.

So look for a proper adapter. It seems that this is what your are looking for. Note that you will need a bike shop's help with installing it as it requires to press away the existing BB and press in the new one.


How much longer will my 10 year old frame last?

The slightly sarcastic-sounding comment is correct, unfortunately.

Even if you used a high-end xray imaging system to carefully analyse the frame, the best you could say is "there are no obvious defects found". You might find major defects, in which case you'd probably recycle the frame rather than riding it, but if you don't you haven't really learned a huge amount - there might be defects just below your ability to detect them, or of a type that you can't detect. In general this is a class of problems summarised as "you can't prove a negative".

More practically, if you carefully inspect the bike for obvious cracks, dents and other major damage, and don't find any, it's probably safe to ride. I have bought and ridden bikes like that for years, generally until so many things are worn out that it's cheaper to buy a new bike than repair everything. That is not unusual with bicycles, barring crashes the frame is often the last part to fail, and the failure is often "it wore out" rather than "it broke". Threaded parts get too worn to hold whatever screws into them (bottom brackets), friction-fit parts get loose (like headset cups), parts that wear, wear to the point of being dangerous (dropouts).


Those are cantilever brakes and as long as the cables are still intact, everything works as it should and the pads still have plenty of material left, they're perfectly fine. From the photo it looks like the pads are still okay, but replacing them can never hurt. A drop of oil on the hinges might not be a bad idea, too.


How hard is this climb and how long should i be taking?

A common measure of fitness in the pro peloton is watts per kilogram, or how many watts of power can you generate per kilogram of body weight for a 1 hour effort. This is more or less a direct translation into your climbing prowess.

The "magic number" for pro racers is 6 watts per kilogram. I would say that for a recreational rider anything over 2 watts per kilogram is pretty good.

You can get some estimate of the power required for a climb via various online calculators. They are at best a good guess, but for climbs without headwinds at speed less than 20 kph, reasonably accurate.

These numbers will not be super accurate, but will give you some idea of what is typical.


What causes my front wheel to twist when I apply the brake?

I'd take a close look at your dropout and your QR skewer.  The rotating disc exerts an upward force on the disc caliper, which tends to want to push the dropout up and away from the axle (or as normally stated, pushes the axle down and out of the dropout).  Some calculations at Jules & James' comprehensive site computes the force generated to be as much as 3800N.

To achieve a 6mm offset at the top of the tire you'd need the axle to move about 1mm within the dropout. Try spinning the wheel in a bike stand with the skewer loose enough to allow free sliding but not wheel ejection, and see if you can replicate the same effect you're seeing out in the real world.


Help Identify North Woods "6 Speed" Tandem?

For what it's worth I picked up a NORTHWOODS SAFARI on Craigslist about 2 months ago. Mine is also a 3x6. It has a sticker from "Scotts Cyclery"  of Willimantic,Conn.  The sticker is not the typical square type that is on the seattube. This one runs along both seat stays.  A clue that it may have been a low end bike is that it says "quality bicycle" on the headtube badge and was made in Indonesia. I would do a little preemptive maintenance. Most lowend bikes I have worked on seem to have little if any grease in the bottom bracket, headset or wheel bearings. Just use it and enjoy it.


Back wheel jumping out of rear dropout with child transporter

The green anti-rotation washer is at least part of the problem. Its purpose is to prevent the nut rotating easily , but with the bracket in between, it can't, and any torque on the bracket is transferred to the nut.

I expect you'll have better results if you put the washer outside the bracket; this works on mine with QR skewers. Even omitting the washer might be better than what you've got now. With an extra part in there you may need to do things up a little tighter than normal in addition.


How can I rent a bike in Paris (France) for a short time?

You're looking for Vélib I think.

English explanation of the system.


What size hub do I need for a Giant Escape 2 (2016)?

The measurement there is known as "O.L.D." or Over-Locknut Diameter.  It's the width of the opening in the frame between your dropouts, with a hub installed.  So from outside-of-locknut to the opposing side outside-of-locknut on your hub.  This can be measured with calipers or (more difficult but possible) with a ruler.  Remember in this case you need to be very accurate in measuring, since it's either 130 or 135 millimeters, and that 5 millimeter difference is very small(about a quarter inch).  If you're sure about the type of bike you have, this could be an easier way.  130mm hubs are generally only used on true road bikes(700x~20-25c).  135mm is used on Mountain or Hybrid bikes(any 26", 29", 27.5", or 700x~30-50c).  Looking at Giant's website, this should be a Hybrid, and 135mm OLD.


Welcome to bikes.SE ..... (You may guess form the links I am also a NZer)

I am not a fan of upgrading parts on bikes. Normally a bike is made up of matched parts in terms of price and quality. Upgrading your Hardrock with say SID forks would be a complete waste of money - the bike will still be a Hardrock... New forks will cost $500 or more, plus installation, which is more than your bike is worth. Ask yourself, who is likely to know best, you or Specialized?

The Hardrock is a good entry level bike. It is designed for off road use - it will not break or get damaged any more than another bike. Better parts will not significantly improve the durability of the Hardrock. What happens with better parts is smoother operation, lighter weight and better handling -- overall a more enjoyable riding experience, especially if you are a skilled rider. With better shocks you get more options for fine tuning, better handling as they will hold the wheel on the ground for longer. (I am assuming XC, not national down-hill use).

I suggest you don't worry about parts. Find a good local bike shop (Checkout vorb.org.nz forums as it's a commonly asked question) and get them to look over the bike and maintain it if you don't know how. A good bike shop will even give you advice on what you can do yourself.

As far as the ride goes, my experience is you will see everything from 10-15 year old bikes, a few low-end and plenty of mid-end, and a few fancy $8k carbon bikes at the start. Don't be intimidated. After marshaling at the finish of an 80km event I can tell you that looking at the value and quality of the bike is a poor way to predict the order in which they cross the finish line.


NLGI 3 is harder than optimal. Shouldn't create a problem, but NLGI 2 should provide better lubrication and still be hard enough to resist being pushed and washed out of the bearings (all else being equal).

Hubs are spinning when used, and at relatively low speed, so no need to worry about lubricant starvation. The harder the grease and the more viscous the base oil, the more chance of lubricant starvation, but, like said, since bicycle hubs see very low rotating speeds (and loads for that matter), the differences are mostly "academic" in my knowledge and experience.


No. 531 is a frame material from which any type of bike can be built. It's actually Reynolds 531 a brand name, from which different tubesets are made and they have also sold small quantities of raw tubing as well as custom butted tubes. That exact tubing is now somewhat dated, they sell newer compositions with different numbers now.

So all you can really say about a bike with 531 tubing is that it's probably more than 5 years old. It might be a touring bike, it might even be a load bike, but more likely it's a road or track racing bike.

If you're looking at buying a frame, first make sure it's designed to be built up the way you want (most importantly for you does it have horizontal dropouts). Then measure it and make sure it will fit. Best done by finding a bike that does fit you and comparing the measurements, since building up the frame will cost money.

Also, make sure you have a fork for it. Most likely a 1" threaded head tube, 622mm or 630mm fork. If it doesn't come with one it's very important that the first thing you acquire is a suitable fork. In the event you can't get one you would need to get one custom built and that will be expensive (this will most likely be because the forks you can find that fit look ugly because they're cheap). Best to make sure you can get that custom fork if you need it, before even buying the frame.


How to distribute weight properly in this situation?

Your answers are

Frame bag that fits inside your bike's main triangle.  May have to custom-make this.
Racks and panniers, both front and back.
A trailer, towed behind the bike
Backpack worn on rider's back
Or go without those items.... Staying at a motor inn/motel/cabins/bed&breakfast may mean you have much less to carry.


How much can we change our bike wheel diameters before needing another bike fit?

The thing about bike fit is that it's almost exclusively about relating your body position to the mechanical parts of the bike. The relationship between handlebar, saddle and pedals is unaffected by changing the wheels.

If you make a change to one wheel diameter it will be equivalent to the tiniest of slopes. Let's take a worst case: Say you go from 35mm tyres to 25mm on the same rim (a 10mm difference in nominal radius, which is what actually matters) on a bike with an unusually short 1m wheelbase. That's a 1% change. Does your fit change on a 1% slope? More typical changes on more typical bikes  would work out closer to 0.2%. I doubt you can even measure whether the saddle is level to that precision, for example, never mind whether it should be. You'd have to change the bead seat diameter for it to make much difference, and while people do put 650B wheels on 700C frames they normally do both at once.

Shoes are very different, in that they come between your body and the bike, and in a particularly important way.


Are there permanently mounted bike computers?

To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer.

  Paul R. Ehrlich

The best computer, is no computer at all! I am sure I will take flack for this, but if all you are interested in is speed and distance, why not go with an old style bike speedometer.  Permanent mounting and no batteries.  Just watch out for the roaming bands of bike hipster thieves, they may steal your whole bike to get at the speedometer.


Yes it's reasonable, assuming your bike is in good condition when you leave home.  Frame failures end most trips regardless of frame material (the bravado of "A village mechanic welded my frame" rarely comes to pass).  Lots of people are bikepacking on carbon bikes--carbon frames have even accelerated the bikepacking trend because they typically lack rack mounting eyelets.


Tiagra 4503 front derailleur replacement

Not according to the Shimano compatibility documents.

Tiagra 4500 series appeared about 2006 and 105 5700 series appeared about 2010 so we need to look at the 2010-2011 archived compatibility document from here and search for 'FD-4503'. The charts say it is only compatible with Tiagra 4503 and Sora 3400 9 speed triple shifters.

To confirm we can search for 'FD-5700', we see it is only compatible with Ultegra 6703 and 105  5703 or 5603 10 speed triple shifters.

However, Shimano is notoriously conservative in its component specifications and compatibility recommendations, so someone may tell you that a 5700 triple front derailleur will work with a 4500 triple shifter - if the two derailleurs use the same actuation ratio they will be basically compatible.


Fox Float RP2 rear shock problem - soft run and hiss sound on first 5-10% of travel

It might not be possible to give you a 100% answer without opening the shock, but it certainly needs service.

6 months of use isn't a great determining factor for service intervals, hours of riding and type of riding (how big, how dirty) are much more important. Have you rebuilt your air can yet? Do you know how many hours you have on the shock?

You can probably run it for a bit (until winter), but it may or may not make it. Either way, the shock needs rebuilt. Sorry dude.


Can you run 52/39 chain rings with an 11/32 cassette?

Yes, you can, although you'll need a longer chain to go with it.

The important thing here is the capacity of the rear mech you're using.  However, since your bike already has 50/36 11-32 gearing, changing the chainset for a 52/39 actually reduces the amount of chain slack the rear mech has to deal with (52-39 < 50-36), so there shouldn't be any problem.

Just remember to adjust the position of the front mech (move it up the seat tube) to accommodate the larger chainrings.


Different hub brake behavior when standing still and when moving

After the behavior got worse, with even a sudden and complete blockage (luckily at low speed), I took the bike at the LBS.

The brake was not properly remounted after a maintenance, removing it and placing it back solved the issue.


Should i upgrade from Skultura 400D with 105 to giant tcr advanced with ultegra di2?

My rides are generally 80kms a week usually by myself at an average of 23kms per hour with average cadence of 65. Would an aero bike make a difference?

For the type of riding you are doing, aero bike will make a small difference, one that you are likely not to notice very much.  Aero bikes do however have a much stiffer ride, so you will likely find the bike to be less comfortable over longer distances. For casual riding, the "endurance" focused models will likely be a better match as these have typically more comfortable positioning and frames that provide more vertical compliance to dull road vibration.  The models you were mentioning are focused only on racing and sacrifice other ride qualities.

As for "aero" it can be important, even at lower speeds (a point which is often overlooked or denied). You will feel aerodynamic drag more a higher speeds, but drag coefficient is always will be a constant proportion of your power output even at lower speeds.  Therefore if you are doing long events at slower speeds it can still play an important roll and can still compound for large differences. For casual riding squeezing every bit of aerodynamics out will have a limited benefit as most won't notice a one or two minute change to their riding time.

That said, even if you are interested in aerodynamics there are lots of places to improve upon before you get to the bike.

Position - the single biggest source of drag.  Some clip-on aero bars will make a large improvement, so will lowering the handle bars at the cost of comfort.
Clothing - loose clothing adds drag.  Skin suits will have the lowest drag, but then it could be pretty awkward going into a coffee shop.
Helmet - more of a time trial consideration, and depends
Aero wheels
Aero bike frame

Item (3) and (4) could be inverted, but it shows you how far down the list the aero bike is.  When you are racing and sometimes competing for seconds or even inches it can be an important difference.  For casual riding, getting the bike to fit well, using good tires and keeping the bike in good working condition will provide a much more noticeable improvement in the riding experience.


As long it secures the seatpost I don't see how a screw instead of bolt can damage the bike. If it fails, the worst case would be a seat sliding down. You might find it inconvient if screw has head that requires tools not usually used for bicycles, like phillips screwdriver or a hex head.

New seatpost collars are cheap, so you can buy a replacement to feel subjectively safer.


When is it time to replace the gear-cable housing?

Most quality cable housings now have a plastic lining. This allows the cable to slide freely and prevents binding and rust formation. If you use stainless steel cables they don't rust. My local shop has plain steel cables for $2.99 or stainless for $4.99. I am a big fan of Jagwire cable sets. The mountain sets include a small plastic sleeve for the exposed sections of cable. The housing ends are sealed by a small rubber section that extends into the above mentioned plastic sleeve. There is no way for any grit to enter easily. I change the cables only when there is evidence of fraying or breakage. I have had the same housings for 3 years and they seem to work like the day I put them on.


What is this ring on these bottom brackets?

You mean the shoulder that is inboard from the square taper?

If the crank manages to snug onto the square taper far enough that it hits the shoulder but remains loose, then the crank arm is worn and needs replacing.

The tolerances will not allow a good crank to press hard against the shoulder, so don't worry.


Brake pads fall out of the caliper and stuck between the caliper and the disk

Looks like cheaper model calliper - many of these use a small, strong magnet to hold the pads in place. It sits in a locating hole in the centre of the 'piston' (Whats the name for the non moving one).

Unscrew the red inboard adjuster all the way and have  a look to see if there is a magnet in place (use a screw driver to feel if its there), or a hole where one should be. They are a small cylinder about 5mm diameter by 3mm.


Conical head tube: does it really make huge difference?

Assume we have a tapered headset with 1.5" lower bearing and a straight 1 1/8" headset. Let's compare two nearest thrust ball bearings from the manufacturer's spec (SKF ): 30x47x11 (dxDxH) and 40x60x13. For 30mm bearing the fatigue load limit Pu=1.6 kN, for 40mm (the nearest to 1,5") Pu=2.32 kN. So the tapered headset can carry more weight or it will work much longer in the same conditions as straight 1 1/8" headset. Additionally, the bigger lower part of headtube allows to increase the downtube diameter and make more stiff front-end. The stiffer front-end gives more precise steering and increases the pedaling efficiency as well.


Securing bikes while on a car hitch mount

My preference for my hitch rack security is to use a 5 foot Schlage 999478 High Security Chain with Cinch Ring to pass through the frame(s) and use with a long kryptonite evolution U-lock to secure the chain and my bikes to my hitch rack, which is secured to my car with a locking hitch pin. I also will incorporate a separate cable lock to secure my wheels (I just use a loop style and thread it through the ulock as well).

I figure this way, if anyone wants to steal my fancy mountain bike, they at least probably need power tools to easily steal my bike. I prefer this method so I can more safely leave my bikes unattended for short periods while on road trips or during after ride beer stops.

My opinion is a cable lock is about as good of security as a strong rope. Any yahoo can buy a pair of wire cutters at a dollar store for $3 and steal your bike in a minute or so if you rely only on cables.

However, the folding plate lock is a bit higher security. I also use one of these on my commuter and would trust it for a medium level of security where I'm leaving the bike unattended for a bit. Maybe not in NYC, but in the smaller city I'm from, I trust it about as much as a U-lock.


How can I identify if my 'Cinelli' frame is real & what model it is?

Assuming no decals or identifying markings, call Cinelli with the serial number which will be stamped into the bottom bracket shell. Otherwise, with no pics and no description, telepathy is the next best option. I don't posses that skill.


How can we calculate the efficiency of the Siva Cycle Atom generator?

Taking 100kg of bike plus rider up a 0.3% grade generates a retarding force of 100kg*g*0.003=3N.  At 24 km/hr=20/3 m/s that is 20 watts.  If that is generating 1A at 5V, the efficiency is 25%.

Yes, I picked numbers that were easy to calculate with.  But I believe this is all marketingspeak and you shouldn't trust the numbers to an order of magnitude.

Note this claims the efficiency doubles if you slow to 12 kph. I suspect the efficiency is roughly constant and either the force decreases or the current available increases as you speed up


Presumably this is the stand you have: https://www.cube.eu/en/equipment/components/kickstands/product/cube-kickstand-cubestand-cmpt-black/

You need to determine what part of the kickstand is loose and moving when you go over bumps. You can inspect the stand, but also try dropping the bike onto it's tires from 6"/10cm off the ground. That's enough to reveal things that rattle. Bear in mind that something else may be rattling, it's hard to hear where noises come from when riding.

Perhaps the mechanism attaching the stand to the bike has come loose. Is the extendable leg rattling? If so maybe it can be solved by pushing the leg all the way in when you'll be riding bumpy roads.


Possibly yes it could be the bottom bracket making periodic noises.

Can also be pedals, chain sticky links, bent chainring, damaged teeth on chainring, alignment of front mech.  Crack in frame, damaged seat, damaged seatpost clamp, or damaged saddle rails clamp.

One elimination technique is to figure out if the noise is timed with crank rotations, or with wheel rotations.  IE does the noise change frequency when you're in a different gear, or does its frequency relate to road speed ?

Also try pedalling backward and see if the problem noise changes in any way.

Can you also eliminate handlebars by pedalling hard while varying grip locations - even hold the stem with alternate hands to eliminate other areas of cause.  Then check the rear derailleur and mech, jockey wheels and cassette for anything blocking.

"periodic sounds" are very hard to diagnose.  Did you crash recently?  Has someone vandalised your bike?   Has any part been changed recently?  Did you loan your bike to someone ?


Swapping chainrings on old ultegra crank

Your model number for the crank is most likely fc-6700 (EDIT: FC-6500). Double check on the inside of the end of the crankarm for this ID. If this is the correct number, just search 'fc-6700 chainring' in your favorite search engine and plenty of product results will show up.


How can one estimate the length of a commute?

Unfortunately, there is single answer to this question. In my experience, every route is unique, and will have variables that increase or decrease the transit time for a particular commute.

Traffic, seasonal weather, time of day for the commute, rider's fitness, and bicycle condition will all play a role in determining the time for a given route.

If you are regular cyclist, and have an idea what your average speed is on a fitness ride, using that as a basis to gauge how long a route will take is a good start.

When I ride a route for the first time, I gauge the time by average speed, and then if there is a deadline for me to be at the destination (i.e. I have to be there and ready for work at 9 a.m.) I take my fitness time, and double it.  That ensures that I have enough time to arrive, even with problems I don't foresee.  Then I add 15-20 minutes, to allow myself time to clean up and be presentable for work.

The next step is to ride the route.  If you are especially cautious, then informing your coworkers/employer that you are trying a new route to work and might be late, if you have unforeseen issues, is not a bad idea. Doing a test ride when you don't have a critical deadline, meeting, or even doing it the first time on your day off, is even better.

You will get used to traffic patterns, weather issues, and normal delays.  Even once you are certain of the normal time a route will take, it is a good idea to allow a bit of leeway for a flat tire, or an unforeseen circumstance.

I know that the answer you want is something along the line of x kilometers or miles will take y minutes, but that is not possible to gauge for you.  What we can offer, is ways to learn the time for your route, without causing damage to your life or your job.

I hope that is helpful.


Tubeless with liquid or inner tubes with liquid?

In your case I would go with tubes. The Tubeless evolution comes from the advantages you list and some disadvantages.

The only one that is of interest to you is puncture resistance. By putting slime in tubes, you gain that without most of the the disadvantages of tubeless.

As the slime dries is needs topping up, if using tubes and neglecting this maintenance won't induce a leak as can happen with tubeless.

You will need to source tubes with removable cores in there valve. This not only allows you to insert the slime (without puncturing the tube), it allows you remove the vales when it gets gummed up by slime for cleaning or replacement.

To be clear, the disadvantages of tubeless over slime filled tubes are small - initial seating of the tire and burping. You probably won't have a problem with burping as you won't be running low pressures over rough ground, so really once the tires are mounted, there is not all that much difference in it.


Can I use titanium axle bolts on a steel frame?

Presumably you're talking about a Profile or one of the other BMX hubs with ti hop-up bolts available. Yes, there is no issue. Were a bolt loose and able to rub dynamically against the frame, they could in theory chew it up because they'll probably be way harder. But if you're riding around with loose axle bolts you'll have other much more imminent problems.


Installing fat bike tires on a BSO for winter riding(condition of averaging -23 C for 2*17km). Is it doable, safe?

Fat bike tyres (3.8" or bigger) are unlikely to fit in the frame or fork of your BSO.  In addition, such large tyres require wider rims (typically 50-100mm internal width) which you are also unlikely to have.  Finally, fat tyres have their advantage in 'floating' over sand or snow, however they won't grip on ice as well as a studded tyre.


the problem usually is that the contact between the pads and the rim is too parallel; a secret is too give the pads a tiny angle, so that the front part of the part would touch half a MM before the rear part.

Try it, it will work. I understand it might sound strange to understand, so if you have any question just ask.


If its just up and down one gear then you probably need to calibrate the derailleur cage a little using the barrel adjusters. Depending on the make of shifter and derailleur there will be a barrel adjuster on one or both ends of the cable outer which will allow you to make micro-adjustments to the cage position.

The jockey wheel centre should be roughly aligned with the center of the cassette cog. What you might find is that the jockey wheel is slightly left or right of the cog at a given shift position (the one that is jumping) so use the barrel adjuster to eyeball the wheel to line up with the cog. It shouldn't take more than a few turns to do this.

Also if the barrel adjuster is fully extended or screwed in, you may have to release the cable at the derailleur end and move it in/out to give you some adjustment room before reattaching the cable.

On the other hand if you are getting more than one shift up or down something is seriously wrong and you may have to replace parts.


Update: It's been over a year since I posted the question and I rode ~1000km on that bike. I had no problems with the hub. The cone looks better now, and performs well. I believe there were just some stains on the surface.

Here's a picture of it now, cleaned and degreased. I left the dust cap on now, because last time I took it off it was a pain to put it back on. I think the imprefections on the bearing surface are being accentuated a little by my camera's default edge enhancement algorithms; with the naked eye they're less visible.


Even though you mentioned in a comment that the high and low seemed to be adjusted properly, it still sounds to me like the 'L' limit of the rear derailleur is improperly set and does not allow the upper guide pulley to fully move the chain onto your largest cog.

If this is indeed the case, shift into the largest cog and  adjust the 'L' limit screw (the outermost 3mm adjusting screw) until the center of the upper guide pulley is aligned with the center of the largest cog.

Another possibility is the chain gap is not properly set. The chain gap for the XX1 groupset should be between 12 and 16mm and should be set while the chain is shifted onto the largest cog. You adjust this with the single 3mm adjusting screw located by the derailleur mounting point. Make sure the limit screws are properly adjusted before checking or changing this setting.

The chain gap is the distance between the top of the teeth on the upper guide pulley and the top of the teeth of the largest cog as shown in the following illustration from the User Manual for SRAM 1x11 rear derailleurs:

In the picture above 15 is High set screw and 14 is Low set screw

If these adjustments do not resolve the issue, bring the bike to the bike shop you purchased it from and have them check it out. My LBS has had several customers (including me) experience issues with the 1x11 cassettes for which the ultimate solution was SRAM sending out replacement cassettes and chains. (Although I think in all of these cases the issue was the chain unexpectedly derailing onto smaller cogs while back pedaling on the largest couple of cogs.)


A better approach to deciding is to figure out what wheel as a whole you could get for your money, by

Buying factory pre-built (e.g. from Mavic or DT Swiss)
Buying custom built wheels with a choice of components from stores such as www.wheelbuilder.com, or using a local wheelbuilder
Custom built by local wheelbuilder using the Chris King hubs, you get to choose rim and spokes.

With the last option you are not paying for new hubs, but you will have to pay for the wheel to be built up.


What kind of overshoes can I use with a large touring SPD cycling shoe such as the Giro Rumble VR?

You need overshoes specifically designed for MTB shoes. Note that most of them would say Road Compatible: Yes, MTB Compatible: Yes but they are typically optimised for road shoes. I have the Shimano S3000X NPU + overshoes which are marketed as MTB overshoes and they are great, although it looks like they are hard to find nowadays in reasonable sizes.


How is the Bikight aluminium chain tensioner installed?

That device looks like a chain tensioner that replaces the rear derailleur when converting a frame made for a derailleur drivetrain to a single speed setup. Hence, it would be mounted with a bolt in the derailleur mounting hole.


Jitter/Sticks on Coaster Brake Hub Wheel

I don't know if this model/brand of coaster brake has one, but what I have seen this problem with Bendix coaster brakes and the culprit is a worn retainer spring or a worn driving clutch. Read this article from Sheldon Brown: https://sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html


Compatible front mech replacement for Shimano STX RC FD-MC36

In most cases the pull direction is determined by the cable routing arrangement on the frame. Some frames do give you the option but that's not super common. Most new clamp-on MTB derailers are dual pull (they can be set up for top pull or bottom pull).

You also should match the front derailer to your chain type in terms of width/speeds. The difference in the cage width is real albeit subtle. One may not encounter issues from this, and it's possible to work around it by angling or bending the derailer, but if you want it to have a better chance of just working then get a 9-speed one to match the bike. (Bikepedia says your bike is 9 speed and came with a 9-speed Deore FD. The STX-RC derailer in question here is actually 8-speed, which I presume got stuck on as a less than ideal replacement at some point. If this is incorrect and the bike is actually 8-speed, then get an 8-speed FD).

Virtually all (maybe actually all) 9-speed and earlier mountain front derailers are triple. There are two ways of making the distinction. The good way is double checking on a source like techdocs.shimano.com or just googling the model code and finding the "Service Instructions" pdf for that derailer. My search history for example is littered with things like "fd-mc36 si". There's also the "Specifications" area on techdocs.shimano.com.  The other way is recognizing how triple FDs for both mountain and road have a bigger, more dropped-down inner cage made to reach across and contact a chain that's sitting on a lower, smaller ring. If you look at some pictures you'll see.

You should also match whether your existing derailer is low-clamp/top-swing or high-clamp/bottom-swing, presuming it seems to be the correct choice for the bike (no frame interference issues and correct amount of gap between the cage and the teeth of the large ring). Some bikes can accommodate either.

Finally it's not a bad idea to double check that the new derailer will play nice with the ring profile (tooth count) of the large ring, the max total ring size difference number, and the minimum difference between middle and large rings. Of these, the first two sometimes give you some leeway to fudge it, and the last really does not. Mismatch the optimal ring profile a little and it will usually still work, and exceed the max total difference and the only consequence is it will rub the cage in small-small combinations. If you go under the minimum difference between middle and top spec, what will happen is the inner cage will hit the middle ring as you try and shift onto the large. You can try to get around it by raising the front derailer, but then you wind up with too much gap and you can have chain drop issues. So that's a good one to be hardline about. You can get these numbers with the above techdocs.shimano.com/google procedure. For example here's the sheet that has them for your existing derailer. This is all less relevant here because almost all 9-speed mountain fronts will be fine for your bike on these points, but other times it matters a lot.

The model code doesn't give you anything directly about the compatibility. Stare at Shimano model codes long enough and eventually you'll just know them or you can get an idea from them about chronology and quality, and that's it.


How much distance can I put on drivetrain components?

Mileage will vary greatly depending on the riding conditions and component maintenance. Personally, I've never tracked the mileage of my drivetrain components. But I do know that I replace chains far more often on my commuter bike than on my road bike.

Ok, I pulled out my copy of Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance...

Chain life: 1,000 - 1,500 miles in dirty conditions or infrequent lubrication. Lighter cyclists riding on clean, dry roads might expect 2,000 - 3,000 miles with poor maintenance and up to 5,000 miles with a daily high-quality lubrication.

Zinn also says that he gets almost infinite life out of his chainrings and cogs! He said that in the section on checking for chain elongation.

Here in Portland, commuting year round, I'm probably near the bottom end for my commuter bike.

wdy


There are a few things to do. I'd start by reading this link from Sheldon Brown.

First determine how the flats are occurring.

Inspect the tube. Is the rim tape on the rim properly? (if not, you'll see a puncture on the wheel side)
Is the tube being pinch flatted? (a snakebite flat, two very closely placed punctures - usually a sign of too low pressure)
When you re-install the tube, are you pinching it between the tire bead and the rim? (You can make a rolling motion over the rim with the tire after its seated to prevent this from happening).
If you can't find the puncture easily, pull the tube out of the tire, give it some air and then try to find the hissing. If you can't find the hissing, try passing the tube around your lips or dunk the inflated inner tube into water.

Check the inside and outside of the tire for any embedded debris, carefully. If you find some, remove it.
If the tube doesn't have any punctures, is the valve good? Sometimes a faulty valve causes pressure loss. You can either re-core the valve in some cases, or more easily just buy a new tube.

Many manufacturers make kevlar belted tires which have stronger puncture resistance (such as the Schwalbe Marathon Plus), but if your punctures are happening due to rim tape or something, then its not going to help.

If you are running such big tires at 55 psi though, I don't think it's low tire pressure -- I've had about 300 pounds of stuff (bicycle, rider, cargo) on a bike with 26x1.9" tires at around those pressures without any problems on some pretty shabby roads.

If the first flat was indeed a puncture due to debris, my guess is that you didn't actually get all the debris out.


What bike (carrying) racks are available for Pop-Up Campers?

Add a second towball on the rear of the camper and fit a car bike rack for three bikes.    If your camper has a spare wheel here, then a wheel mount may also work.

Add another upstand of some description on the front of the camper for a duplicate setup, and put three bikes on the drawbar.  Noseweight should be about the same.
 or

Similar option is to run two towballs on the towing vehicle, like this

The other option is to put some bikes inside the camper before folding it, but there's often not a lot of space once its all folded down.


To answer your questions

No, they are not safe to ride due to risk of the tube blowing out or the tire rolling off the rim.
No, I do not think they are repairable (at home). If they were repaired I would not trust them again.

I believe that this item is not fit for the purpose of a bicycle wheel.

It should be returned to the place of purchase on those grounds and a replacement or refund sought.


Finding the cause of a tubless loss of sealant

If the tape has a hole in it, that's definitely the problem. I'm not sure why the tape would suddenly fail as there is nothing rubbing in it, although the spoke hole in the rim looks strange to me. Is there a sharp edge there that punctured the tape?

If the tire had a large leak you be able to see sealant coming out of it, same if there were a problem with the bead seating on the rim. If you have not seen this your tire is probably OK.

You'll need to replace the tape, perhaps with a heavier duty type. If you can't seat the tire bead yourself enlist the help of a bike repair shop - that's what they're for: backup when you don't have the tools or knowledge to do it yourself.

Methylated spirits or isopropyl alcohol works for removing dried sealant.


9 speed Shimano shifter with 7 speed drivetrain

Can I use a 9 speed shifter with a 7 speed drivetrain, with good
  shifting and without needing complex adaptations?

Kinda, maybe, sort of... its complicated

You could use a Shimano 7 speed derailleur with a 9 speed shifter, if you also used a wheel with a 9 speed cog. The 7 and 9 speed Shimano derailleurs use the same derailleur ratio of 1.7 (amount of derailleur movement for a given cable pull) despite the two systems having different cable pulls (2.9 and 2.5 respectively) and sprocket pitches (5.00 and 4.35 respectively).

If you used a 7 speed cassette, with a 9 speed shifter and 7 speed derailleur you would not pull enough cable and the shifts will get mangled.

If you are currently on 7 Speeds, this means you have a 7 speed wheel that will most likely NOT take a 9 speed cassette.  This would mean you would need to buy a new rear wheel as well as a new 9 speed cassette in order to keep you 7 speed rear derailleur.  You would also need a 9 speed chain (which is narrower) to mesh with the 9 speed cassette, which may or may not work okay with your 7 speed chain rings.

For pull ratios see http://blog.artscyclery.com/science-behind-the-magic/science-behind-the-magic-drivetrain-compatibility/


DON’T

If you are sure (or have strong suspicions) it’s a crack and not just a scratch, stop riding it.

From your description I’m not sure what’s actually cracked (stem, fork’s steerer tube, frame’s head tube?) but replacing it is much cheaper and less painful than new teeth or sitting in a wheelchair the rest of your life.

Post a picture if you want a more accurate assessment but generally the only components on a bicycle where I’d be okay with imminent failure is anything related to gear shifting or attachments such as bottle cages or mud guards.


How do I choose a good mountain bike?

Summary
Everything on a bicycle is important.

The most important part of a bicycle is the frame.
The best bike for the money will have:

The best quality of frame construction you can afford. Frame quality includes the quality of materials and craftsmanship. Generally, the quality of the components increases as the quality of the frame increases (there are exceptions to this, it can't be taken for granted)
The correct geometry to fit you correctly and support your riding style. There are a variety of geometries to choose from no matter what your price range.

Selecting the correct geometry to support your riding style is a matter of situation (where and how you ride) and opinion that can only be developed by saddle time on a variety of bikes on different terrains. That being said, it is possible to generally describe riding characteristic trade-offs for different frame geometries. Understanding the characteristics can help riders make informed decisions.

At a high level the best frame geometry is finding the right balance between nimble handling and stability for your specific needs / preference.

Details
Here is a picture of some of the key factors in mountain bike frame geometry.

I have taken the lettered list from Jamie Darlow and have elaborated on the descriptions integrating comments from his article.
A – Head angle - the angle between the ground and the head tube. Generally the more vertical the head angel the more nimble and less stable the ride.
B – Seat angle - angle of the seat tube relative to the ground. This determines where the seat is in relation to the pedals which effects pedaling efficiency and weight distribution between the wheels.
C – Bottom bracket height - distance from the ground to the center of the bottom bracket. Effects your center of gravity and pedal clearance.
D – Chainstay length - distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the center of the rear wheel. Effects weight distribution between the wheels and wheelbase.
E – Front Center- distance between the center of the front axle to the middle of the bottom bracket. This number is influenced by
F – Wheelbase - distance between the wheels. As a general rule longer wheelbase is more stable and less nimble. Shorter wheelbase is more nimble and less stable.
G – Down tube - distance from the middle of the bottom bracket to the center of the bottom of the head tube
H – Top tube - distance between the top center of the head tube and the seatpost
I – Reach - distance between the top center of the head tube and the verticle line that runs through the center of the bottom bracket. This number helps with sizing a bike correctly.

Frame part diagram

Better bike makers will publish frame geometry specifications for their bikes.

Frame construction is a complicated topic full of technical details and passionate opinions. The information provided should provide a beginning point for more research.

An example of an area for further research is the effect different frame materials - aluminum/steel/carbon/titanium have on riding characteristics.


It's not so much that reusing the link increases the chance that the pins or plates that the Powerlock is made up of will fail, but rather that it increases the chance that the link will come apart the same way it was put together. Each time you remove that link it wears down the "ridge" that snaps the pins in place on their opposing plates. This increases the chance that the link can undo itself in unusual circumstances. It may also slightly increase the chance of the link failing in the case of shifting under heavy load, which should be avoided anyway.

SRAMs 9 speed quick links were notorious for coming apart on the trail as they are reusable- some of this had to do with improper removal which damaged the relief that held the pins in place. It's probably easier for the company to just say "don't do it" than to say "do it this way" and folks don't adhere to the manufacturer's recommendations, leading to failures.

TL;DR version- if you only remove the link on occasion, its good for the life of the chain. Don't reuse an old quick link on a new chain.


MTB Why are 29ers considered better then the legacy 26'' or 27'' tires?

Simple answer 29er wheels roll better that 26" wheels this means better rollover and higher speeds. These are good things for mountain bikes. The trade off is, because they're a larger wheel they require a larger frame. This is especially true for suspension. Usually 29er don't have the same range of suspension as 26" wheels. The larger wheels compensate for some of this on rough ground, but that doesn't help if you're taking large drops.

So really it comes down to what kind of riding you want to do. If you want light trail use and cross-country riding the 29er is ideal. Since you're considering a hardtail I think this is you.


Is it possible to put a 700c wheel on to an old Raliegh road bike?

Sure.  So long as the hub is roughly the same width, and the chain is compatible with the sprockets, you should be able to put the slightly smaller 700c wheel on that bike.  As you note, the brakes will likely not reach, but that's not a problem on a trainer.

One potential problem is the rear derailer, but this wouldn't be as much trouble as going the other way, since your old derailer is likely not indexed.  The main problem is likely to be that the wider chain doesn't fit the sprockets well.


Why do I keep getting cut looking flats?

Is the cut always the same distance around the tube from the valve?

If so then you have something wrong in your rim.  Use the punctured tube to measure where the damage is coming from... that will give you at most two positions, one in front of the valve hole and one behind.

I think you'll find a cause in this very small sector of the rim.

BTW - had you patched your tubes rather than replacing them, the punctures might have been reduced by the extra thickness of the patch in that spot.  And if they punctured again though the patch, then you'd know straight away something's wrong there.


Is 700c 25/32 iner tubes the same as 700c 18/25?

700 essentially refers to the diameter of the wheel, while the other two numbers give the range of tyre widths that the tube is suitable for. So 18-25 covers tyres between 18mm and 25 mm inclusive, while 25-32 would suit slightly wider tyres (25mm wide - 32mm wide inclusive) of the same wheel diameter.

So both tubes would suit a 700c x25 tyre as they overlap sizes there, but they aren’t the same per se


Low profile tire suggestion for 27 x 1 1/8 wheels

There’s really no such thing as a low-profile bike tire, AFAIK. All bike tires take on a circular cross-section when inflated. You’ll need to use a narrower tire. Another more expensive option would be to switch to 700C wheels, which would give you another 4 mm of clearance (and a better tire selection).

Cool bike, btw.


Is there any difference between silver/brown/painted bike chains?

Answer Minimal difference to performance or quality.

The coloured chain tends to be for single speed/fixies or BMXs or bikes without derailleur gears.  This is because the front derailleur has to push the chain around, so it rubs.  The rear derailleur guides the chain but pushes chain into the sprockets until it has to mount the larger cog.  So the pretty colours will get oily or chipped or worn.

So you're more likely to find painted coloured chains in 1/8 inch size, not 3/32 inch and whatever 10/11/12 speed bikes use.


According to Boca, they are 3/16" for the front and 1/4" for the rear.  I see no reason why you can't run ceramic bearings in them.


The "bottom bracket" assembly is loose.  It may just be that it's a one-piece "cartridge" and is rattling around in the frame, or it may be that the unit is "loose bearings" and the bearing caps need to be adjusted.  Or there may have been some sort of failure of the bearings.

Regardless, the whole mess will need to be disassembled to a degree, and that requires some special tools (mainly a "crank puller").  So it may be best to take it to a bike shop.

Ran into virtually the identical situation today, working on a donated bike.  To do the job properly you need a crank puller, a "spanner" for the lockring, and a Park HCW-11 wrench for the "slotted" bottom bracket cup.  There are ways to do it without those special tools, but you risk mucking up the threads, etc.  And you probably need a new set of bearings (they're likely in "cages").


Will using a pannier rack mounting kit damage a carbon frame Axiom vs Tubus

I would recommend getting a second bike for commuting. The Specialized Roubaix is a racing machine. It would also be foolish to leave it locked outside a shop (in case you considered doing that).

Most likely you will void the warranty by using clamps on seat stays. To get that low weight, carbon frames are strong only in certain directions and may be relatively weak in others.


Indeed as per the comments the 'lock' mechanism on Shimano rear derailleurs (to reduce chain slap) is called "Shadow Plus". Whilst this was initially a feature of the higher end models (XT / XTR) a few years ago, it has since filtered down to some lower models, such as SLX and Zee (although I think not yet on Deore ... anyone correct me?!)


You have a perfectly standard hub with a freewheel, the problem is that the axle is broken, so it has come out of the hub along with the skewer. It explains the wobbly feeling. Kudos for noticing that in the first place.
Any basic hub overhaul tutorial should suit, but you need to replace the axle first, as part of the process.


If its just yourself and one road bike, it will fit into the back a majority of hatch back style cars. With the seats folded down and front wheel off, you would be surprised how much space even a compact has.

Look for a car that suits you best then make sure the bike fits. As far as putting the bike in, look for rear seats that fold up quickly and easily, a wide rear hatch opening with a low sill would be important to me. A front passenger seat that folds forward (if a small car) might help.

Another option is some cars allow the rear seats to fold up, meaning the bike could be carried in the rear passenger foot well.  In this case you may want a chain cover to prevent oil getting onto the cars interior.

Consider how much time the car is used as a bike shuttle vs other uses and balance the the convenience and costs.  For instance a large car that you can leave the wheel on is more convenient but probably costs more to own and run, a small two seat sports car while  cool to own,  is not very convenient if you have to take front and rear wheels off to carry the bike.


Any 8-speed chain should work. If you want to be absolutely sure, get one made by the same company that made the cassette. I believe Shimano still makes several 8-speed chains.


It depends on how the fork is engineered for safety. While its plausible that the curved shape does add to some shock absorption, that is determined by the width and construction of the fork tubing. You could design a fork which was reliable and curved in aluminum or carbon or whatever, but the engineering wouldn't be the same as a steel fork. Whether the fork on that bike has been designed appropriately or not, is a different matter than if its possible.

You usually see it only on steel now, but older aluminum bikes have had that style (even mountain bikes), especially from Cannondale:

Jamis's Quest Comp Femme (and other bikes in the Quest line) currently uses that style too, for a carbon composite fork:

That being said, poor quality (and dangerous) aluminum forks have been made (the Viscount Aerospace pointed out by Brian Drummond in the comments is one example).

As for whether or not to get the bike, its sounds like you're not all that confident in their engineering, and to me that would be a definite no on buying the bike. I'd rather spend a few more dollars on a bike than on a broken face. If the Trek 1.1 is out of your price range, either find something used and nice or look at other manufacturers you can trust (if you go to brands which are well reputed, but not Trek/Giant/Specialized, you can likely save a decent bit).


I suspect that with the wheel in the thru-axle is not aligned with the thread in the drive side dropout and isn't engaging.

If a nut came off your hub you really need to inspect the hub and check to see what else fell off. That looks like a locknut to me (can't see a bearing surface), if so you'd need to re-adjust the bearings at least.


What is neuromuscular endurance in the world of bicycling?

I think that you've misunderstood the concept a little. There is no neuromuscular endurance power range quite like the aerobic or anaerobic power zones. There are however neuromuscular adaptations which will affect your endurance and cycling performance.

The nerve connections to muscles are how your brain controls them. Through training, you're able to create more nerve connections to a muscle, which will also have faster firing. This allows better activation of your body's muscle fibres. The end result of this is better pedalling efficiency and better peak power.

The best way to train for these adaptations is through strength training. When training high weight low reps, your muscle is forced to recruit far more muscle fibres than it ever needs to when cycling. Even a maximal sprint effort doesn't come close to the torque requires for heavy deadlifts or leg press. To meet these requirements, your body makes these neuromuscular adaptations which in turn are beneficial to cycling performance, which is where the endurance relationship comes into the equation.

This article discusses the concept.


How do I fix sticking/tight hydraulic brake calipers?

Most likely, while you had the wheel out, the brake lever was pulled, and the piston position was reset too close to the disc.

You need to remove the brake pads, and very gently push the pistons all the way back into the caliper.

Then replace the wheel, and pump the brake lever. It should take 2 or 3 pumps to feel normal again.

Hope that helps.