What's the difference in threaded and threadless headset and stem

There's a page on here explaining the basics, Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts

There are some advantages for maintenance, it is simpler and faster to adjust the bearing preload with the central bolt through the top cap, rather than using the lockrings on a threaded headset. Threadless also requires only hex keys to adjust, as opposed to specific lockring spanners.

The overall system of threadless headset and clamp on stem is probably lighter and stiffer, but I'm guessing... if true it's a big reason! i.e. lighter weight and better steering.

The larger stem with threadless headset allows material for the modern handlebar clamp with four bolts, enabling you to remove the whole handlebar assembly easily. It is able to achieve this without significant weight penalty. With a lot of quill stem designs, the clamp forces you to remove brake levers etc from the bar to remove the bar from the stem by sliding it through. There are two bolt clamp designs for quill stems but arguably 4 bolt clamps are a superior design.

With threaded, the quill stems have a tendency to get rusted in place, worsened by aluminium vs steel combinations, so rust or galvanic corrosion can prevent removal of the stem, thus adjustment or bearing servicing becomes impossible if a threaded headset is neglected for too long. This is less likely to be a problem with a threadless headset.

Also for threaded steerers, the steerer must be cut to fit the frame head tube and the headset stack height quite accurately. Replacement headsets must match this stack height quite closely to be compatible. Whilst this is an unusual occurrence, more significantly the fork/steerer tube cannot be re-used in a taller head tube on a different bike. Both these issues are more easily managed for a threadless system.

Hope that helps, no doubt there's more reasons than this!


What is it called when you ride a bmx like a unicycle?

According to this site on artisitic cycling they refer to a trick called a "head-tube wheelie" which is probably a good name for it. BMX enthusiasts may have a different name for it, but that's essentially what it is.   I was also able to find this other site referring to headtube wheelies.  Also, this Youtube video refers to it as a headtube seated wheelie, and headtube backwheel riding.

After some Googling with the help of @dotjoe's answer, I've found that this trick is referred to a "Pedalling Death Truck" or a "Blender".  There's also a trick called the "forwards spinning deathtruck" which is pretty much the same thing except the rider faces the other way around (at least as I understand it).


How good or bad would chainsaw bar lubricant be as a bicycle chain lube?

On a chainsaw is it called bar lube (not chain lube).
It is designed to lube the bar.

This is chainsaw chain:

Not the same beast as bicycle chain.
I don't even think there are rollers.
Bar lube is more viscous than bicycle chain lube.
Bar lube does not need a long life - it is going to get thrown off.
There is an excess of bar lube and big gaps compared to a bicycle chain.
The chain itself only needs to last longer than the cutting teeth.

Yes they are both chains but that is about all they have in common.
It is a bar lube.

I would chose 3 in 1, motor oil, or transmission fluid over bar lube.
Yes I would use bar lube on my bicycle chain if I had nothing else in the shop but I would not use it just because it was free. I would even use WD 40 for a single ride and get chain lube the next day. Not a great lubricant but WD 40 would not gunk up the chain.

You pay $20+ for a decent chain. Why would you skimp using a product not designed to protect the chain? A good chain lube is not very expensive and goes a long way.


Minimal gear for dry winter riding in the city

For such light weight I suggest a handlebar bag:

Advantages:

They don't get dirty from spray from the wheels unlike panniers (which transfer dirt to your clothes)
Your phone is handy if you want to check e.g. a map (I mean stop but don't get off).
They've typically got a shoulder strap and quick release mounting so they're easy to take indoors.
They've got slightly more capacity than you say you need -- you'll soon use it.
Unlike a backpack they won't make you sweaty
You can always add a backpack for shopping

Disadvantages:

They're quite small
Cheaper ones soon start to let water in (true of any bag though)
(This is the big one for me) they get in the way of handlebar mounted lights.  This may or may not be an issue for you, but don't ignore it.

Even a wedge bag would hold all your stuff except the helmet.

Whatever you go for either clip the helmet on the outside or get a mesh helmet bag - helmets can do with some fresh air and a bag that will hold a helmet is quite bulky.

I've got an Altura dryline -- not the cheapest option but it has a mapcase to go over the top and can keep a netbook and change of clothes dry.  It would take a helmet for a small head, but not mine. I recently switched back to using it because of a baby seat.

There are much cheaper options (example) out there as well, and most come with a shoulder strap.


They are all compatible. Generally speaking, 9-speed Shimano mountain bike parts are compatible with one another without. If there's an exception to that rule, I've never seen it.

One thing you might want to check is that your frame will be compatible with your top swing front derailleur. It's fairly likely that your touring frame is set up for bottom pull. If it is, you're better off getting a bottom-pull derailleur. There may be a way to make it work, but if so it's out of my realm of experience. And if you're getting new parts anyway it's just easier not to mess with it.

As for the shifters, just make sure that they're compatible with a 9-speed shimano mountain bike derailleur. You won't get good shifting out of one that's designed for road derailleurs.

As far as opinions and/or suggestions about what brand or model to buy specifically, those are generally considered off-topic per the FAQ.


What is the carbon footprint of a new bike?

I don't have numbers on hand. But if you're after a cogent argument, I would point out that the car they drive has a far larger manufacturing footprint, even assuming it is manufactured in the local economy, which is rare. If it is, then was the raw steel manufactured there or shipped in?

For that argument of theirs to be effective, they must start with the idea that their car popped out of thin air. Even assuming that the manufacturing footprint is identical, the car continues to build that carbon debt, while the bicycle mostly ceases to charge that card after the manufacturing is done.

Of course there will be minor maintenance items, and consumables like tires and tubes, but the car has those, too. No matter how you look at it, a bicycle doesn't burn fuel to function and a car does.

So the car will use far more resources over the course of it's useful life.

Also, whether you believe that global warming is real and important, or not, it will affect your finances far more to drive a car than to ride a bike.


Installing quick release axles requires completely replacing the axle. It's possible but does require a few extra tools and parts to disassemble the rear hub. If you install a QR, don't forget to choose a trainer specific QR, they are strong and have tough metal nuts.

The simplest method though would be some other type of axle nut which is compatible with the turbo. Internet search for 'turbo trainer axle nuts' seems to be a good start. They have rounded metal ends and look like this:


I resolved the problem by changing the caliper. Now everything is working fine. Thanks for all the help, and details on how a brake system works.


Pretty much been done to death with evangelistic enthusiasm on many forums.

Smaller wheels - more agile and responsive, lighter/stronger, easier to control

Larger Wheels - roll better over small obstacles therefore considered faster in straight lines, lower tire pressures (due bigger tire) provide more traction off paved roads. Slower to accelerate (debatable how much the difference really is) due more rolling weight.

Don't for 650's - between 26" and 29"

I grew up on 26", and switched to 29er a few years ago, my wife recently got a 650B. On the road the 29er is better, on tight, technical (i.e. have to slow down significantly into corners then accelerate) the 26" has it all over the 29'er in every way. My current preference is my wife's 650B as it suits my current riding best, but bike geometry probably plays as big a part.

You height will play a part - I would not recommend a 29er for someone under about 165cm.


Is Nike Hindsight glasses only a concept or there are a real similar products?

The Hindsight glasses include fresnel lenses that widen the peripheral field, at the cost of increased distortion. As stated in the article, this is a design concept, so there's no guarantee it will ever make it to market. And although it's a neat idea, it would take a lot of testing to determine whether the tradeoffs are worth it for enough people.

This isn't the only example of fresnel glasses being used in eyewear. Peripheral prism glasses have been used in research for how to improve the vision of patients with hemianopia (blindness in half of the visual field), but although this is a related concept, it requires a completely different design.

In summary, no, fresnel lenses to extend peripheral vision are not readily available in cycling glasses.


There is no correct answer. Do what works or is most comfortable for you.
Bear in mind that if you train yourself to sit and spin at a higher cadence you’ll get better at that. If you train yourself to stand up and pedal slower you’ll get better at doing that.


My bike tire just started rubbing against the frame. Please help me fix it

I'm going to guess that the wheel slipped in the dropouts (where the wheel's axle enters the frame).

Loosen the nuts that hold the wheel's axle in the frame. Push the wheel back into the dropouts all the way (depending on the frame, you might not do all the way; the wheel should be sufficiently in the dropouts). Check that the wheel is centered. Then, tighten the nuts.


How does Slime coagulate and seal holes in tires?

Most sealants work because they are actually a fibrous fluid or rubber solution.  When a puncture happens and the air pressure forces the fluid out a hole, the fibers create a plug or the rubber hardens.

http://www.velonews.com/2010/01/news/cyclocross/technical-faq-tire-sealants_102346


I want an cool urban/track bike with 3speeds. Could you recommend me one?

I know exactly what you mean. I had the same desires and I ended up buying an SE Draft on ebay and fitting a wheel with a 3 speed hub. If you can find a bike shop that are keen on building and customising they might be able to sell you a single speed bike and then fit a 3 speed hub.

An Australian online store, Jelly Bean bikes give the option of buying the bike with a 3 speed hub, but they don't ship overseas. You might be able to find a similar store near you.


Consequences of driving a dynamo backwards

The electric parts of the dynamo hub don't care. They're an AC generator and there's no concept of reversing the flow with AC.

However, the mechanical bits of the hub itself can be a problem. You don't indicate which manufacturer/model dynamo you have. The great majority of hubs are constructed such that they are expecting the wheel to turn in a certain direction in order to keep internal nuts and bolts tightened. Going in the opposite direction could lead to fiddly bits unscrewing themselves.

Where possible, I'd try to respect the directionality of dynohubs that have directionality. It would just take an extra length of wire or some zipties to snake the power cable around to the other side, it's worth that for the peace of mind to know that the hub won't self-destruct when you're going down a long hill.

Note: All Shimanos, all Sanyo, and older Schmidt/SON hubs are vulnerable to unscrewing if they are oriented with the power leads on the left (NDS) rather than the right (drive) side. Newer Schmidt SON hubs are flippable with the exception of the SON SL (below). When in doubt, ask your manufacturer/reseller.

N.B.: Some special (and expensive) dynohubs such as the Schmidt Son SL pair with specially designed forks so that no external wires are needed, but it also means you can't flip the wheel around or it shorts to ground. Assuredly that's not the case with you.


How do I obtain a duplicate bike key for my kryptonite U lock?

You can get another key for your lock by ordering it from Kryptonite at this link.


How do I determine the model of my Shimano Rear Derailleur?

Practically there are only a few things that you need to match a rear derailleur to the one it's replacing.

The first is the mounting point - check the mounting to the frame is the same.

The other is the length of the cage - a short cage is typically used for road bikes and medium or long cage for mountain. The longer the cage, the bigger range of gears it can cope with, but the less precise the shifting is. As a rule try to stick to the same length cage, but if not, go longer rather than shorter (Unless you know what you are doing). try to stay with one for the number of gears as the chain, but it is not critical if its one either side. (i.e. an 8-speed on a 7-speed chain should be fine)

So if they're all pretty much compatible - you are probably wondering why such a large range - it's all down to weight, quality of shifting, expected life and price and just plain old marketing...

My advice - head down to the LBS (local bike shop) with your bike (or just the derailleur), and have a chat with them. They will have something off the shelf that will work, and you can discuss cost/quality etc. The LBS should be able to fit a new one in 1/2 hour if you want them to do it. I have had great success purchasing stuff or bikes online, however have also had the odd incompatibility due to not being aware of some seemingly minor detail.

If the end of the old cable is frayed/cut and not soldered, buy a new one.  it's just not worth the effort mucking around with the original cable, and they are only a few dollars.


The fork is fitted the wrong way around. The brake caliper should be in front of the fork, not behind it. The way it is, the bike will be very, very hard to ride because of the negative rake, making it very nervous. The negative rake is also the reason for the pedal overlap. Normally, you should at most get some toe overlap.

Loosen the bolt in the top of the stem, turn the fork around 180 degrees (it will only go clockwise because of the brake cable to the front brake) and tighten the bolt when the stem and wheel are aligned.

Thanks to @MichaelT, here's a picture of how the fork is supposed to look like:


What are the most highly attended US & International charity bicycle rides?

I am not sure how you would find the individual rides with the highest participation, but there are a few organizations that reach thousands of cyclists across the US by holding rides in several communities.

In the US you tend to rarely see huge rides because the logistics and regulation hoops in many areas is to great to overcome.  Many rides are capped at 2000 or 3000 riders.

The list below is based on my perception that they hold the larger rides in the most areas:

MS Bike Rides (National Multiple Sclerosis Society): Most are two day rides and many rides attract 3,000 riders or more.

LIVESTRONG (Cancer - Lance Armstrong Foundation): In addition to 3-4 of their own large rides, they have begun to sponsor other large ride like RAGBRAI.

Tour de Cure (American Diabetes Association) Their site reports that between the 80 or so rides they sponsor they get 40,000 participants.

There are a lot of others like Team in Training, American Lung Association Rides, etc, but those three have charity rides as one of the primary fundraising activities and are fairly well known throughout the US.


10-speed chain too short, can I add links?

10 speed chains aren't designed to rejoined like 7 speed chains. The outer plates are thinner and the pins sit flush with the plates, which leaves little margin for error when reinserting the pin. The pins are often riveted too so they can't be correctly reinserted even if you are able to perfectly line it up. I'd use extra connector links instead of trying to reinsert the pin.


For a complete beginner, what bike would you recommend?

I'd recommend getting a cheap used aluminum frame bike (a beater), a good lock, and a bottle of oil.  Then, I recommend you lock it on the street most of the time.  I recommend cheap so that you won't worry about it while it's parked on the street.  I recommend aluminum so that it is light enough to haul up to your apartment for those extended periods when you won't be riding it (also so it doesn't rust).

It might take a beating getting stored outside, but if you ride it frequently that'll battle the effects of the weather (as will the bottle of oil).  One of my schools (in the midwest) had nearly 100% outside storage for student bicycles.  It snowed, rained, etc.  But, as long as the bikes were used and maintained regularly, they ran fine.  (The ones that sat for a long time eventually turned into piles of rust.) If you spend, say $150 or so, you'll have enough left over for periodic tune-ups on your cheapo from your local mechanic.

Also, if you store it outside, you'll be more likely to ride it for quick trips than if you have to haul it up and down 4 flights of stairs.


Hard to say exactly what is going on but I suspect the problem is in the cables and housing - either a routing problem or the cable is sticking.

Inspect the cable run and ensure there are no kinks and the housing is inserted in frame bosses properly.

Pull the cable out and clean it, lubricate and re-install (can be hard of the tip of the cable is frayed). Even better, replace cable and housing which is relatively inexpensive.

Re-adjust the derailleur. Start by rechecking the high and low limits. Start the indexing on the smallest sprocket - that way you know you won't have the problem of the derailleur arriving on the smallest sprocket with on click to go.


I finally got it going using a Shimano Nexus 3 (SG-3C41). Looking at the pics, I figured that I could remove the massive outer distance nuts to make it fit a narrower fork:

This was not quite sufficient to get it to 110mm so I had to make use of an angle grinder to cut a couple of mm off the cone-shaped nut on the right side of the axle.

The most tedious part of it all was finding an 18" bicycle rim with 36 holes. I could not get one, so I ordered a 32-hole rim ending up with three different spoke lengths (3-crossed) in the wheel. It took me some effort to figure out of how to lace the wheel and seems to bring some durability / stability issues due to the difference in spoke tensions, but this is a kid's bike after all so great strain on the rear wheel is not to be expected.


Unfortunately, most bikes are only rated to 300lbs or less. However, if this is a new bike, you should take it back to the shop and get them to fix it.  They can't claim they didn't know you were a heavy rider when they sold you the bike.

You might need to get more substantial wheels with more spokes. Wheels designed for touring bikes might be more appropriate. Also, when riding, you need to be careful to avoid potholes and other bumps in the road and don't go up and down kerbs. If you can't avoid a bump, lift your weight off the saddle so your legs and arms are acting as suspension – this applies to riders of any weight and it's more comfortable for you as well as the bike!


Help! front wheel brake doesn't brake (Shimano)

Sounds obvious, but first ensure the cable is securely attached to the caliper by the pinch bolt.

Check that the brake housing that the front brake cable runs inside is properly fitted into the brake lever. If the housing has come loose the cable has nothing to pull against and will not operate the brake calipers.

If you have v-brake calipers, check that the curved metal 'noodle' is properly fitted into the caliper. The noodle can be popped out to spread the calipers to allow removal of the wheel.

It's also possible that the cable has snapped inside the housing, or the cable head has broken off.


How secure are Security Wheel Skewers like Zéfal Lock'n'Roll?

Reviews state that its pretty easy to break into.

To quote the road.cc article above:

  In locked mode, attempts to prise them open with my hands proved reassuringly futile. However, a wander round the web suggested they were readily defeated using heavy-duty pliers or a magnet… The latter worked but I later discovered slight play in the skewer permitted this. Fully home and it wouldn’t budge but pliers demolished them in 48 seconds, freeing the front wheel Similarly holding the acorn end with pliers and rotating the cam also induced release. Configuring each so they open in a different position might slow ignorant, opportunist thieves to the point they go in search of easier pickings but regrettably the existing design is too easily overcome.

If you want a quality product, look at something like Pitlock skewers which are pretty difficult to grab onto, and can also be installed for things like seatposts and stuff (Pitlocks have been around for years and are generally well regarded).

Alternatively, lock your wheels properly with good quality U-locks or chains. For example, if you catch the rim in the rear triangle of a standard diamond frame, you can't remove the wheel from the bicycle or the frame without cutting the lock or the rim (which is extremely unlikely to happen).

One thing about security is that bad security looks very close to good security a lot of the times (and assessing good security is often based on trust; if Bruce Schneier says a computer security system is good, you might feel okay about it; if Joe Schmoe on twitter says so, you probably wouldn't put any stake into it). So, do your research on any products that you may consider buying from quality sources.

Also, be aware of your threat model. If you live in certain areas, things like these aren't going to be worth it cause the threat of people stealing wheels is negligible. In other areas, it may be redundant with the locking strategy you always have to employ. Anyway, things like security skewers and bolts are for relatively casual thieves; remember that you need to avoid them walking away with the whole bike first.

I'm always cautious with things off Kickstarter, but the idea of Hexlox looks similar to the Pitstopper from Pitlock; the question is if one (or both) of the implementations are acceptable in quality. In any case, both Hexlox and Pitstopper look inferior to the original Pitlock system IMO (but I haven't done any tests with either of them). The Point system doesn't look very secure either and I've never heard of the company either.


Yes, definitely -- if you're riding on mostly paved roads, switch to bald-ish tires. Rolling resistance is huge and equates directly to effort, though as you start going really fast it is dwarfed by air and gravity of course. Per the graph here:

However, one caution: road tires tend to be skinny, and you probably want fat-but-bald tires instead. If you go from a 35mm wide treaded tire to a 25mm bald tire, you will feel a lot more bumps.

So in summary: bald, for sure, but don't sacrifice too much width/comfort in the process.


To repaint metal, you'll have to strip the current coating. This means you'll have to remove the stickers as well. It is unreasonable to attempt to reuse them, just as it would be silly (or at least ungodly expensive) to try to move a printed image from one T-shirt to another.
You can, however, buy and apply new stickers, if you can find the ones you like. For Rockshox forks they are readily available in several colors. I can also see that stickers for Cube frames are also available.
You can also go with e.g. vinyl wrap applied to existing frame. It can be made to your custom design, for a price.
P.S. My rough estimations are that any sort of repainting of a used frameset is likely to cost at least as much as the bicycle itself. The paint itself may be cheap, but working time to strip the frame and to repaint it are not. Unless you have enough free time to do it yourself, are not afraid to make mistakes and have an empty ventilated garage for a week (it takes several days for several coats of paint to dry).


Front caliper rubbing spokes, should I dish the wheel outward?

Super frustrating problem. Some brakes are a little notorious for this.

You don't mention whether your pad/piston extension is centered. If by some chance it was biased towards the inside pad being more extended currently, fixing that could fix the whole thing. By the same token, brakes have some tolerance for unequal extension, so biasing it towards the outer pad being a little more extended could also be a workaround. (You would try this be resetting the pistons and adjusting the caliper to a starting position where the inside gap is less than the outside gap, then letting them self-adjust. The brake mount has to be done on the fork such that the caliper has room in the slots to slide over this much.)

Shimming the rotor is also a possible fix. You can buy special centerlock shims for this or you can cut through one side of a freehub/freewheel/BB spacer to bend it on clear of the centerlock splines. This also requires room in the adjustment range of the caliper to work.

If you don't have adjustment room, there are also possible solutions involving lacing the brake side of the wheel all heads-out. You could do it crossed, kind of reverse "race lace," with the spokes you have now bent around each other and more prone to fatigue breakage, or you could half-radial the wheel and rely on the relatively large smallest inscribed diameter of this hub to transfer brake loads to the right flange, a trick that some boutique wheels also play. Both are probably pretty bad ideas that would at least work for a while. (It would be up to you to do the math/research on whether your SP's shell diameter was adequate for the latter plan.) Another path would be lace that side of the wheel one cross, heads out. One cross wheels are usually all laced on one side of the flange, and the cross would be up far enough that it's not awkard in terms of spokes being bent around each other. This would give that side of the wheel some torsional strength to brace against bracing loads. It may be plenty of torsional strength for the purpose in fact, but again doing the math would have to be on you. I believe all of these plans would buy you an amount of clearance equal to the flange thickness.

Putting the wheel out of dish enough to actually solve this seems bad to me.


If its under the Ortlieb five year warrantee or you want it professionally done, send it back to them: https://www.ortlieb.com/en/service/garantie/

Locally, a local mountain shop, seamstress/tailor, sailmaker, upholstery shop, or shoe repair shop (tip of the hat to Daniel Hicks and dlu for the additions) might be able to do it for you. Whoever does the repair will need an industrial sewing machine -- or, more likely will have to handsew it because of its short length and awkward location. Prices will vary accordingly.

Otherwise, you could yourself sew it back together with Kevlar thread and a large sewing needle or awl, with perhaps some ballistic nylon as backing. Since the tear is at a corner, you may have to dismantle the pack a bit. If this paragraph makes no sense, don't attempt it.

A quicker and much, much dirtier fix would be to use repair tape: either tent repair tape, resin-impregnated fiberglass or cloth tape (such as fiberfix), or make your own using epoxy resin and ballistic cloth. Or, as always, duct tape.


Using Engine Starter Fluid to Decontaminate Brake Pads

Seeing that starter fluid could contain any number of things, I wouldn't.

You can simply use isopropyl alcohol. Very cheap, typically most grocery stores would stock it and you want to get as simple and pure as possible. ie. don't buy the scented ones.

In liquid form, you can easily use a toothbrush and give them a good clean. It will decrease and get most grime out and put you back to step 1 of bedding in the pads. I have use this a number of times to clean off even DOT 5 from pads.

With isopropyl alcohol it doesn't matter if they are sintered or organic pads and any excess isopropyl alcohol will simply evaporate with minimal residue. The key is to brush and 'wash' of as much as possible and not to simply soak them.


why does my front suspension have no spring or air valve

i had one of those some years ago. you need to check for bolts in the bottom of the legs, if there are not any you must get a long 5 alen key (about 45 cm length) take out the upper caps and introduce the long key. once you take out tha bolts in both sides you will be able to disasemble the fork, then clean averyting, grease, and put everyting together again.


I know there are better rain-forecast sources than "hourly forecast" websites. What's the best such source?

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html

Use the moisture radar, it's your best tool to see when the rain is coming and when it's going with great detail. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with it you'll start to get a feel for how different types of rain look on the radar and where it's going to hit.


Shift Cable for 1963 Schwinn w/Sturmey Archer Shifter

Based on the information provided by @P.Barney and @NathanKnutson, I realized that while the cable will most likely work in my shifter, the housing is the wrong length for my particular application. Based on the specs of my old cable, I believe the correct cable to be:


These are slick tires, so it doesn't really matter. Even if there are rotation marks, they generally have minimal/trivial differences in performance if any on slick road tires for direction of rotation.

For tread for things like mountain bike tires, the performance may be different depending on the tread orientation, with how much the tread grabs depending on the way the rotation.


What are the advantages of handlebars with an integrated stem?

The main advantage is aerodynamics, but it should also be cheaper, lighter and stronger than a two-piece combination. Aside from the shaping, the fibres will run continuously through both "parts" so there's extra strength from that and there are also no stress risers at the joins making them stronger again. In practice the strength and weight are a trade-off, and there's no point making the bars ridiculously strong so it's very likely that they will be made lighter instead of stronger.

Everything else being equal, that would make those bars both cheaper (easier to manufacture, less material) and lighter than a competing two piece product. However, they're likely to be less popular and thus manufactured in smaller quantities than the two pieces, so may well cost more for that reason.

A final tiny advantage is that there are four fewer bolts to worry about, so you never have to check the four bolts that hold the bars to the stem or make sure the bars are at the right angle.


According to my handy-dandy tire/wheel compatibility chart, if your rim is between 17-24.9mm Inside Rim Width, that tire should work fine with your wheel.


What inner tube do I need for this tyre?

Looks like 28 x 1 3/8 (although I did have to squint a bit!), or 700 x 35 if you prefer metric. I think they're pretty standard, I seem to remember having a hybrid that had this size wheel.

For example, the first result on a google search shows one on Amazon. That particular one is a Kenda but I'd lay odds that all the main manufacturers will make this size.

As regards an on-the-road fix, I carry a repair kit (glue & patches) but to be honest would only use if absolutely necessary. Its pretty cheap, and certainly easier, to carry a spare tube. That plus a couple of levers, plus a small pump or CO2, should get you home. I like to carry some disposable latex gloves as well, just to minimise how mucky I get.

If you start getting regular punctures, look more at what tyres you're riding.


How do people ride road bikes without fenders?

Most road bikes are the equivalent of an open-top racing car. You just don't ride them in the rain. And if you do, you are expected to be hard core enough that a little rain isn't worth the weight and aerodynamic drag that the fenders would cause. And there's also a reason that hardcore racers wear sunglasses during the day or transparent glasses in the evening -- they help keep bugs and rain out of your eyes. And as many people note, you'll be soaking wet from sweat anyway if you're riding hard.

That being said, there are some slim fenders that can attach to some road bikes -- although many/most road bikes currently being sold come without fender eyelets and are so aerodynamic that there isn't enough space between the wheel and forks/stays to put a fender that would work a darn. If you want fenders but like the road bike drop-bar style, look at expedition/touring bikes or cyclocross bikes.

Or, if you're like many people, you instead have a beater commuter with fenders that you ride in the rain and you keep your gorgeous carbon fiber racer for sunny days. One can never have too many bikes.


Can't find information on Suntour XOR 100 fork

"XOR" stands for nothing, it's a typo in "XCR". Here's a review of this bike where you can read the model clearly on photos and the XCR aggregate page on Suntour's website.


I'd like to be able to climb hills better: is it an option to increase the diameters of the largest gears on rear cassette?

Gears are measured in terms of the number of teeth, not the width.
The mechanical advantage is given by the number of teeth on the front chainring divided by the number of teeth at the back.
Often this is then multiplied by the diameter of the tyre, to give a measurement in 'gear inches'.
Your bike looks to have a 14t-28t freewheel. Your rear derailleur is a 'mid cage' model designed for 14-28t freewheel and a 20t front difference, for example a 48-38-28 or a 44-34-24 triple chainset.
You might be able to change the freewheel for a 14t-34t six-speed freewheel, but if you have a triple chainset fitted, then your mid cage derailleur may be beyond its limits. In this case a similar quality 'Tourney' SGS (long cage) derailleur should be quite cheap to buy if it does not work well.
As you have not indicated whether you have a triple, double chainset or a single chainring at front, it's hard to say the main cause of your trouble - for example if you have just one chainring up front, then the 28t small cog is likely to result in a very hard easiest gear, and in that case the problem is at the front, not the back.
However it is quite possible that you do have for example a 48-38-28 chainset with the 14-28 freewheel, which is not a particularly hard gear compared to a modern racing bicycle sold for non-athletes, which will typically have a 50-34t chainset with an 11-34t cog (28/28 is the same gear ratio as 34.34), but your bike is likely to be heavier, so this still might not be enough.
Anyway, switching from 14-28t to 14-34t or 13t-34t freewheel will give you a considerably easier gear, but you might end up needing a new rear derailleur as well, and it would be easier to answer your question knowing about your front chainring(s).


My bike after a new spray paint, gets scratched easily

Commercial paint jobs often use heat-baked enamel, with multiple coats (not just undercoat and topcoat), and finished with a clear top coat.

The baking process produces a really tough, well bonded coating, and the clear topcoat (as well as being tough) produces a nice finish that hides scratches.


What is the size of the front axle nut of the Supercycle Hooligan?

The zero-information answer is that you should take the bike to a bike shop. Axle nuts are, as far as I'm aware, a pretty standard size; a bike shop will be able to figure out what size you need and will probably just give you a replacemnt nut. Buy something to make it worth their while.

  Measurements preferred in mm but inches is fine too.

That's not how it works. If it's a metric size, you need a metric size; if it's an Imperial/American size, you need an Imperial/American size. It's not enough to say "Oh, half an inch is about 12mm and however-many threads per inch is about this number of threads per centimetre."

  Btw, if I cannot find any online is it a good idea to 3d print them? I have a 3d printer and I can print in PLA or PETG but not sure if plastic would be a good idea to hold the front wheel in place.

No, no, one hundred times no! Not remotely strong enough.


CrossRip 3 carbon fork for front panniers

If you are concerned with the durability of carbon fiber composite forks when used with panniers, Trek would not include pannier mounts if the forks were not usable with them. The bike specifications or manual should give you the maximum weight for luggage in all locations, front and rear.


Big dent on frame: How did this damage happen?

It seems that this dent belongs in the bike.

Here is a photo of a similar bike. While image is of low quality, the dent is visible:

However, as pointed out by Lamar Latrell in comments, in your second photo the weld to the headtube has a dark spot in it. I cannot tell from the photo, but you or your bike mechanic should check if it is a damage in the weld seam, or just damaged paint.


The best I could find was Raleigh's own web site , and all they list is frame sizes and approximate leg lengths to suit.

If the supplier themselves don't list it, then you'll have to go measure one at a shop, or hope someone else here happens to own one and a tape measure.


What's a good website for logging cycling trip data?

Strava is the de facto standard these days.

Has some nice social features, like segments where your times are compared against others, friends and messages.

Training Peaks is more of a training log than a social platform, has some nice features for planning and talking to a coach.

Polar, Garmin, etc. have their own home made solutions. I've not personally used the Polar one, but Garmin Connect always feels half finished, I only use it to sync to Strava and Training Peaks.

And of course, there are a million others, but I think these are the biggest options.


I went from a 60mm to a 100mm stem and there was no need to re-route the cables. As pointed out in the comments (thank you all for the comments!), this is not general and it really depends on how much cable there is. Fortunately in my case, there was enough.

On a related note, I had to add a spacer on top of the stem, because the new stem is lower than the one I had beforehand.


In need of guides to maintain the bike that I'm about to get

Link-only answers are frowned upon here but I'm going to provide one anyway
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help
Park Tool Company's Repair Help web site is the most comprehensive, professional and understandable set of articles and videos on bike repair and maintenance that is out there.
If you run into specific problems, Bicycles Stack Exchange is of course a great resource.


What bottom bracket do I need for a decathlon rockrider 5.0

I can't precisely tell you which one you need with a picture, and I didn't find a good one in the internet. The bottom bracket you need is either an OctaLink or a Square bottom bracket. You should be able to figure out just by looking at your bike.

Before buying you need to check both the shell and the spindle lengths, as you can see here.

It is really easy to remove and install a new one, but you will need to buy a crank extractor and a bottom bracket removal tool. These aren't tools you will use very much so just get the cheapest ones you can find. You will also need generic tools to unscrew the crank, but you can figure these ones out.

You can find detailed instructions on how to do this here, or just search for a youtube video. Before installing the new one grease the hell out of those threads so it won't be a pain to remove next time, and because that part is very exposed to the elements. Stupid elements!


There are several terms around this subject. A key thing here is reflectivity (or more specifically retroreflectivity), rather than fluorescence. Fluoresence is the property of a material where it absorbs light at one wavelength, e.g. ultraviolet sunlight, but then reflects back light from the visual spectrum. This is most useful in daylight conditions, using the sunlight to create more human visible light.

Everything (well, almost everything) is reflective to some degree, mostly diffuse reflection where light hits a surface and scatters, but this reflection goes in many directions and breaks apart into many wavelengths. Alternatively there is  a property called retroreflection which reflects light back to its source, in contrast to mirror (or specular) reflection which just bounces off, as light does with a mirror, in a single opposing direction. Hence a person near the light source, e.g. a driver in a car, sees the retroreflective surface.

Thus in terms of visibility, you don't just need flourescent material at night because there isn't enough light in the usable spectrum, so a yellow jacket isn't going to be any more useful than a white t-shirt. So while they'll both be more visible than something black, in order to stand out in a driver's headlights, you need retroreflective material to actively react, rather than passively reflect.

[Possibly related: visibility at night, using electroluminescent wire]


what is the official site of diamond bicycle or frame(not "diamondback")

It looks like it's a Belgian manifacturer: http://www.cyclesdiamond.be/


Are there smaller chain rings available for Shimano Tiagra Triple?

Unfortunately the asymmetric four bolt pattern that Shimano switched to for these cranks is a new patttern and so far there are no small inner rings available. The best advice I can give is to switch to the older five bolt style crank, for which many small rings are available. I use 26-39-50 on the previous generation of Tiagra with no trouble.


What is the practical advantage of disk brakes over rim brakes?

Working backwards from how it works:

Not using the rim means the brake is unaffected by how straight the rim is, and heating the rotor doesn't affect the tyre. The rim is not worn away by braking and the rotor material can be selected entirely for its suitability for that one purpose. This also allows smaller clearance between pads and rotor, allowing:

Increased pressure between brake pad and rotor compared to rim brakes means disks are less affected by water or other contaminants. Pads can be made of harder material giving increased pad lifetime.

Having the brake caliper further away from the tyre means it's less affected by mud, and it can be made partly or fully enclosed to further sheild it. The rotor is also less likely to  hit obstacles as it's further from the ground.

Being a hub brake makes unconventional designs possible. Single sided wheel mounts are the most obvious example, but some suspension systems are incompatible with rim brakes, and building a rim braked carbon composite wheel is much harder than building one to use a hub brake.

Disk brakes can also be fitted to both sides of a wheel for increased heat dissipation, and it's easier to vary the design for different characteristics (weight, heat capacity, modulation etc). Doing that with a rim brake means the brake manufacturer has to start selling wheels as well.

These combine to make disk brakes more reliable and easier to maintain.It's also somewhat easier to remove and reinstall wheels as you don't have to release the brake first.


Diamondback Century 2 (2015): What thru-axle skewer dimensions fit the original axle hubs? Lost the originals/internet search unhelpful

First, do you have quick releases, or do you have thru-axles? If you have rim brakes, then you have QRs. Any QR will fit your bike. If you have disc brakes (look for a rotor on the left side of each hub), you probably have thru-axles, but it's also possible you have QRs.

If you have thru-axles, you probably need to call Diamondback Bikes. Their FAQ lists a number for consumers to call about replacement parts. Because REI is a national chain of outdoor equipment stores in the US, if you're still in the US, you may be able to get to one, and they may be able to help you as well - although they may not have the correct information on hand themselves and probably don't stock replacement thru axles for every bike, so they would probably end up reaching out to Diamondback themselves.

Since you asked, we should discuss the dimensions of thru-axles! As you've noticed, they are more complicated than quick release skewers. QRs can have a bit of the rod poking out the frame end, so they could be made to standard lengths. The over locknut diameter of rear road and MTB QR hubs is slightly different (130mm and 135mm), and that was the only point of differentiation. In fact, an MTB rear QR will fit a road bike, you'll just have some rod sticking out the left side of the bike. Front QRs are the same width between road and mountain bikes. Also, some early disc brake bikes took QRs, although by 2015, chances are you should have had TAs if the bike were disc brake.

First, there's the axle diameter. The current Century 2 has a 12mm diameter axle in front, and a 12mm axle in the rear. Many mountain bikes and some gravel bikes take 15mm axles in front. Many current mountain bikes take wider hubs than the current road standard of 100mm front, 142mm rear. In any case, chances are that your bike takes that standard.

From there, I'd refer you to the Robert Axle Project (note, they make and sell thru axles), or to this page on Modern Bike. Because forks vary in how thick they are at the dropouts, thru axles also vary in their length. So, a 12x100 front thru axle is really longer than 100mm - RAP's site says that a 125mm thru axle would fit my gravel bike.

Another aspect is the thread pitch, or the distance from one thread to the next one on the threaded part. Thread pitches can be 1.0mm, 1.5mm, or 1.75mm.

Last, not discussed on either site, but thru axles can have flat seats or conical ones.

RAP does have a bike database, and it has some information on Diamondback bikes. It is able to suggest a front thru-axle that should fit all Diamondbacks. However, it's not able to suggest a rear thru-axle for your model. It suggests measuring your thru-axle ... which you don't have. This, unfortunately, is a lesson not to lose your thru-axle. If you're transporting the bike with wheels off, best practice would be to thread the axles into the frame. In any case, it does seem like calling Diamondback is the best option.


Disc brakes sometimes need to "bed in," which means the pads will wear quickly at first then settle. During this period you can get some pretty awful sounding noises anywhere from screeching and squealing to grinding. BikeRadar has a great workshop article about how to go through this process.

Other than that, have you ridden through some wet areas and maybe picked up some dirt? Contaminants on the the rotors or pads will cause some extra noise as well. Sanding the pads can help remove any surface dirt/grime and improve braking ability as well.

Last option would be that there is something wrong with the pads or the pads are mismatched to the type/brand of brake. You could remove them and take a look and see if the wear pattern looks weird or if there's anything lodged in the pads themselves. It's pretty unlikely, but defective parts do happen.


What is the minimum repair kit/parts I should bring on a 150 mile bikepacking trip?

You're not going deep into the back country, and at worst, if a bike broke, you could get back to a safe place after a half-day of gentle hiking. You have everything covered. Have fun.


What should I look for in choosing wheels for a road bike?

If you're doing mostly commuting I'd look for strength above light. Go for something with more spokes and with a 3 cross lacing pattern. You want something that is reliable. Of course you weight is a consideration so there is always a trade off between that and durability.

Going with something with radial (straight) lacing up front can save weight and you're less likely to break a spoke on the front wheel so there is less chance that durability will be a factor.


Typically you would want to do an ABC Quick Check - the information below came originally from the League of American Bicyclists site.

A = air

Inflate tires to rated pressure as listed on the sidewall of the tire.
Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure.
Check for damage to tire tread and sidewall; replace if damaged.

B = brakes

Inspect pads for wear; replace is there is less than ¼" of pad left.
Check pad adjustment; make sure they do not rub tire or dive into spokes.
Check brake level travel; at least 1" between bar and lever when applied.

C = cranks, chain and cassette

Make sure that your crank bolts are tight; lube the threads only, nothing else.
Check your chain for wear; 12 links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches.
If your chain skips on your cassette, you might need a new one or just an adjustment.
Note - most of these bikes use Nexus type internal hubs, so just a visual check of the chain and a quick test ride should let you know what the condition is.

Quick = quick releases

Hubs need to be tight in the frame; your quick release should engage at 90°.
Your hub quick release should point back to insure that nothing catches on it.
Inspect brake quick releases to insure that they have been re-engaged.

Check = check it over

Take a quick ride to check if derailleurs and brakes are working properly.
Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts; tighten, replace or fix them.
Pay extra attention to your bike during the first few miles of the ride.

Edit: The comments seem to indicate that some people think this list if overkill. However, take a step back and remember... You are picking out a bike that doesn't belong to you, that you don't maintain and that really you know nothing about. True, you probably aren't going to measure the chain, or have a pressure gauge in your pocket, but I would spend MORE time inspecting a citibike before I ride off than I would a bike of my own. I am certainly going to look fairly close to see if anything is loose, broken, or way out of adjustment, and the mnemonic ABC Quick Check is an easy way to remember what to look for.


Short answer is yes, you can swap in any 11 speed crank that uses the same bottom bracket standard, which on the Stevens is a 24mm axle Hollowtech II type. I believe all Shimano road cranks are compatible with that.

If you are considering a 48/34 or 46/32 crank you'll need to drop your front derailleur down. There can be issues with braze on brackets not going low enough, but the Stevens seems to have a clamp style so you should be OK.

Links to the Shimano pages:

Shimano Specifications & Technical Documents

Front Drivetrain Compatibility

Reading the compatibility chart is actually straightforward, components in boxes linked by lines are compatible. The chart looks complex because of all the component codes, but once you figure out how to read those it's easy. Component codes are two letter components type then the series. ST/SL= shift levers, FD= front derailleur, FC=front chainset, BB=bottom bracket, CN=chain, etc, etc. You can look up the series numbers on the Wikipedia Shimano page.


Is it generally the case that bikes are allowed to use the "full lane"?

For any question about law, you always have to check local laws.

The general rule is that you go with traffic and ride as far to the side as safe, taking the lane when it makes you safer. In many places this is how the law is written, but even when it isn't you may wish to do so.

From what I recall of the League of American Bicyclists safe cycling class I took, in the United States you're allowed to "take the lane" basically anytime that doing so is safer.  The exact laws vary from state to state, but they all basically allow this same behavior.

Reasons to move away from the side include:

hazards (glass, gravel, bad pavement, possibly opening car doors)
the lane isn't wide enough for a car to pass safely (to discourage dangerously close passing)
where a right turn is possible (to avoid right hook hazard)

Whether or not you're required to use a shoulder or not is different in different states. In California you're allowed to use a shoulder, but not required to; a narrow lane and wide shoulder allows you to legally use the full lane (but riding on the shoulder might be better).

Police often don't know the proper rules for bikes and mistakenly think you're always required to ride as far to the right as possible. Other road users often have that same problem.

The key phrase to look for to learn more is "vehicular cycling". There was a big move to vehicular cycling in the 60s and 70s, an I've noticed many laws that make it explicitly legal date to the 70s.


I have managed to completely disassemble a pair of old pedal clips, looking vaguely similar to yours. If they are not handed, then you could simply reassemble them with the most worn clip on the other side.

This may not be viable if the clip is worn to the point of not working any more.   Essentially the same idea as rotating the tyres on a car, swapping front for back to even out the tread wear.


Upgrading cassette to give bigger bottom gear

It seems the Giant Stance is equipped with Shimano Alivio. That's a fairly low-end groupset and I'm fairly sure you can't replace the cogs one-by-one. In any case, a whole new cassette is only about $20–25.


Designing Bike Trailers – Especially the hitch and load

There are a few of these trailers around, even some that are made in the US, including some from a company that sells multiple options (although they may have stopped, everything is out of stock on Amazon and not on their website). Most are DIY, and some have fairly detailed instructions available.

This how to make a cargo trailer question probably answers half of your question, so I'm going to focus on the other parts.

It's worth spending a lot of time reading and researching, and I suggest contacting people who have trailers like this and asking for their opinions. If you're lucky someone will give you one (admittedly in the "if you come and pick it up" sense), but that could be a good way to start your first camping holiday with it. Travel to the trailer with your bike, grab the trailer, then ride home. Sure, if it turns out to be a dumb idea you may want to abandon it after a few thousand kilometres, but that's cheaper and easier than building your own then discovering you don't like it.

I also suggest that you buy a standard bicycle cargo trailer first as they're much, much cheaper than any camper trailer that you buy or build. Tow that around for a bit, use it for your grocery shopping, take it camping. Think of it as a cheap testbed for your ideas about bike camping. Because it is. If you don't like towing the trailer, you find you can't easily tow even the 30-50kg those trailers are rated for, or you discover other problems, you won't have wasted much time or money on the camping trailer.

On that note, watch for the sunk cost fallacy, with other buyers and especially with DIY builders. DIY has an awful lot of "I built this, I put in a lot of work, it must be a great thing that I have built".

Materials

The Danish one looks as though it's rotomoulded, purely because getting something that big injection moulded would mean a million dollar mould. If you want that sort of custom plastic work done, it's going to be a lot cheaper to import one from Denmark than build it yourself. Even if you own a rotomoulding factory.

That means building it some other way. Corrugated plastic is easy to work with, fairly strong, resilient and cheap, and it also insulates more than nylon tent material does. But the easy way to do this is the buy a tent and put it on a trailer - that's what the "Kwik-Kamp" ones do. Heavier, but not much better, would be sheet metal, probably aluminium because it's easier to make things lightweight with it (steel can be just as light, but that takes more skill).

The choice really comes down to what you have available, and what you're comfortable working with. Being able to weld steel tubing will make the whole process much easier, even if you use plastic or wood as your sheet material. A steel chassis and hitch will be simpler than trying to build from other materials.

Design

I would start with a simple flat two wheeled trailer that can carry your camping gear. Go camping with that and see how you like towing a trailer. Then add 50kg of water to it (because water is cheap and easy to get), and go again. If you're not comfortable towing 100kg, the camper trailer is not for you.

Then I'd build a basic, big, trailer probably like my "megatrailer"

That was only 1.5m long, but it would be pretty easy to make one 2m long, enough to fit a narrow mattress on. You could even make a divan base for it to carry your stuff, or just a wooden base and a box on top, then strap the mattress on top of your stuff. As long as it doesn't rain. But this is a prototype. Maybe also do one trip with a fridge or oven box on top of the prototype, to give you an idea of how wind resistance will change before you get too carried away with building.

Once that works I'd add the real "camping box" to the design. I would be tempted to make a complex folding version just to keep the towed size down. Hinge across the back or front to halve the length, then tilt the front wall back to reduce air resistance, and if possible tilt the sides in too. Having flat walls that are trapezoidal, so the erected shape is a truncated rectangular pyramid, might make it possible to fold the walls completely flat while travelling.

One variant of that would be to find a tent that is the right size and shape for your trailer, build a topless box base that's the size of the tent, then glue the bottom of the tent to the base and cut the floor out. That way you have a fairly waterproof cover for your box, and it should be easier to set the tent up than without the trailer. Downside is you're still sleeping in a tent.

I would be tempted to push the "box" up a bit, possibly to around a metre. That way you have enough structure to lean on the fixed wall while you're sitting in it, and with a bit of design effort it could still be fairly aerodynamic. You could possibly do a "pop top" style camper based on that, or the more modern wall lift variant - two boxes that nest, so when you lift the outer one that is the roof, it exposes more and more of the inner walls until eventually you reach the join and it's fully erect. That gives you completely solid walls and potentially a very weather-resistant design, but obviously at a significant weight penalty.

Another option would be to copy the A frame style pop top campers

That has the advantage that you know the design works, but it would need to be fairly large to give you enough headroom. But possibly you could vary that design so that it worked better in small scale.

Wheel Size

There's a good reason why the Wide Path photos show 406 wheels all round. Trailer wheels, and the rear wheel of the towing bike, experience significantly more side forces than most bike wheels. You will need to take that into account. I use 406 wheels for most of my bikes for this reason, and also partly because it's a good idea to pick a size and stick with it. Having to carry two sizes of spare tyres and tubes while touring is just annoying.

To get the lateral strength you can either make the wheel smaller (406 size), the flanges bigger or the hub wider. Fatbikes, IGH and motorised hubs are other solutions to that problem. You can, of course, combine them - a fatbike with 406 wheels and hub motors might barely have spokes at all, so getting strong wheels would be easy (lacing them up, maybe not so much)

Power Assist

One option would be to design it around 300-500W of solar panels, and use an electric bike to tow it. That way you can go further, faster with the trailer and as a free bonus you have power when you're camping (not much, but charging phones etc will be easy, and you'll be able to run a light).

I met a guy who is riding around remote bits of Australia using a fatbike and a trailer load of panels. He uses a tent, but the idea is there.

Travel Limitations As you've already realised, you're not going to be taking this on a plane or bus. Ever.

Size is going to be an issue in other places too, unless you already know everywhere you want to take it and know that there will be metre-wide gaps everywhere. Unfortunately many "bicycle facilities" have barriers specifically to stop vehicles that are wider or longer than a normal bicycle from using the facility. So if your design is wider than the usual 800mm or so bicycle, you either need to be able to lift it over a 1.5m high fence, or roll it backwards until you can find somewhere to turn round.

The fact that most camping trailers can't do that makes me wonder how serious the owners are about cycling - I suspect that most owners ride short distances on flat ground on known roads. If that's what you want, this could work really well.

Other Random Observations

I've done a bit of cycle touring on odd bikes, including a tandem recumbent trike, and on one trip I had both the trike and megatrailer. We quickly discovered that with the trailer our speed dropped from about 20kph to about 10-12kph, and the other cyclists were generally no faster with the trailer (they were usually faster than the trike without it). Touring with a big, heavy bike starts to get tedious after a while.

Sam, the solar trailer guy above, started out with a home-made tadpole solar power-assisted trike. After a few thousand kilometres he decided that he really, really wanted something that could detach from the solar panels and be ridden independently. Your camping trailer will have that advantage, but it's worth keeping in mind that you will want to lock and leave the trailer at times. Resist the urge to build a heavily customised towing bike that is hard to ride without power assist.

But you may well find that you're better off with a custom towing bike. Lacing narrow-ish rims onto fatbike hubs will give you unreasonably strong wheels, and with the camper putting big side loads on your rear wheel that may be really useful. You might also find a Pinion bottom bracket gearing setup solves a lot of problems around where you attach the trailer, and how you get the extra-wide range of gears you will hopefully need (if you're unlucky it will handle so badly that typical MTB gears, only with unusually small chainrings, is ample for the 0..20kph speeds your rig is capable of).

Designing it to be dismantle-able into bits that can be shipped might be well worth while. Not so much "easy to reassemble" but just "break it down, ship it home, get on the bus, worry about it when I get there" scenarios. You'll possibly only do that once, but if you do need to bail on a ride not needing to hire a box trailer or truck to move it may greatly simplify things. It's better than just setting fire to it, however good that might feel at the time.

Finally, I do think this could be a really good project, but I would suggest testing your "tow a big heavy trailer on tour" abilities first before committing too far to the idea.


I just googled "Bike Dog trailer" and got tonnes of results.  I have heard that trailers from "WIKE" are good.  Here is a pic of their biggest dog trailer:

I have also seen a few DIY dog trailers.

I like this quite a bit.  The dog is just tied in so they don't jump around but they still get a good view.  Found at Bike Trailer Blog

There is also the option to mount the dog's crate onto the trailer.  I have seen lots of pictures of these. Basically you just need to put some bolts through the flatbed of the trailer. This is a more professional example from Tony's Trailers:

I guess in theory you could also put a small dog in your front basket, but I would not do that.  If the dog moves around that will make your bike unstable, also the dog may try to jump out causing a crash.


Either your range adjustment is off, or your cable tension.  Assuming your derailleur is not bent or damaged, this is likely what's wrong.

Your range adjustment screw that limits how far toward the 'big' gears you can shift needs to be loosened a little, probably as little as 1/4 turn counterclockwise.

Check your derailleur: you should have two screws, one labeled 'H' and one labeled 'L'.  Try loosening 'L' about a quarter turn.

Another possible issue is the cable tension could be too low, possibly because the cable has slipped or stretched. Make sure the cable clamp that secures the derailleur cable to the derailleur is snugly tightened. There should be a barrel adjuster where the cable enters the derailleur, or on the shifter body on the handlebars.  You might also try turning that counterclockwise 1/4 -1/2 turn.

Finally, make sure your chain is clean and oiled, as the friction can interfere with proper shifting.

Further reference: https://www.artscyclery.com/learningcenter/shimanorearderailleurs.html


Ghetto Tubeless w/ Gorilla Tape on a BMX Bike or Dirt Jumper - Good Idea?

Your pros list for tubeless is highly debatable.

Tubeless are less likely to puncture and more likely to self seal if they do puncture, so you have to fix less often, but.... Fixing a tubeless puncture that did not self seal is a workshop job, not a field job. MTBers running tubeless carry spare tubes so they can get home if they puncture.

Weight - much less a concern for DJ and BMX bikes. In reality, most riders could afford to loose 100 times more weight than the difference tubeless makes.

Cheaper in the long right - very doubtful. Tubeless require a slime top up every 3 - 6 months.  Tubes are a one off lifetime cost.

As is you cons list.
Maintenance - 3-6 monthly slime topup vs an occasional squirt of air into a tube.

Cost - slime is not cheap.

IMHO tubeless for a DJ or street BMX makes little sense as the single big advantage - running lower pressures to get more grip cannot be utilized.


DIY solution for carrying kids on a long-john: ideas?

Putting child seats designed for car use into or onto cargo bikes is very common. The basic idea is to work out how you can mount it to your bike using something similar to the way the seat you have is mounted in the car so the mounts work properly. Just grabbing one and bolting it to your bike could easily result in it ripping off in a crash.

That said, I've seen a lot of people just drop the seat into the box and vaguely tie them upright. If you're going short distances at low speed, and you don't crash, that works. There's no real benefit in having a proper car seat if you do this, whatever baby container you have will work just as well/badly as long as the baby is somewhat strapped in and it's reasonably robust.

If you have a pram or push chair that you can remove the wheels from making a mount for that on the bike is probably going to be the cheap option.

The next step up is to anchor it properly by using the bracket that holds the box onto the frame and attaching straps to that that attach to the seat where the seat-belts do. Often that just means a piece of timber and some old seat belt straps held on with screws and washers. It's a bit crude but it works.

A different approach is to buy a seat that's designed for a rear rack and mount that in the box somehow. The easy way is the run a length of 2x4" timber the length of the box and bolt a rear rack to that (if the seat has quick-release mounts for the rack) or just bolt the seat to the timber. Then make a frame for that bit of timber that you can attach securely to the box but also remove when you need to. The advantage of that is that you can get a seat that has a headrest for your kid.

But if you're comfortable working with timber, I'd be very inclined to make something that does exactly what you want. Have a look at how standard bikes seats work and build something similar, probably with more padding. I'd be really tempted to make a wooden "cowl" that the seat can lean back into to support the kids head, but when the seat tips more upright doesn't get in the way. And use 100mm thick foam for the lining, rather than trying to suspend a wooden box.

This is based on what I've seen around the place since I don't have kids of my own. I'd say less than 10% of new parents that ride have a special baby-on-bike carrier, they almost all use a car carrier or similar and tie it into the bike.

cargo bike with two kiddie seats


This would be a great problem to have for most of us roadies. Simply eat more if you find yourself losing more weight than you care to lose.

You can alternatively balance with more strength based exercises like lifts, pulls, rows at the gym or elsewhere.

Or cake.


The only way to be sure is to measure.

You can use an app such as Strava during the ride, then look at it's analysis later. It will show you how fast you were going at each point, and also gives an approximation of your power output.

We don't know what algorithm or assumptions it uses to calculate the power, but since it uses just one algorithm you can compare results for seated and standing sprints. Strava doesn't know what the wind speed is, nor does it know what your frontal area is (which changes when you stand), so the power values are not correct in an absolute sense. The speed measurements are more useful.

I would expect that you'll be producing most power at the higher end of your cadence range, 120-140 rpm.

In my experience a standing sprint is good for a short burst, rather than the extended acceleration you describe.

Using the higher cadence will be better for your knees over time.


Have you recently replaced a tire or tube? If so, then the tire may not be properly seated.

Remove the wheel, hold it in your lap lying flat, and rotate the wheel around looking at the edge of the rim and tire. You are looking for a "low spot" where the tire appears to "disappear" down into the wheel. It will be slight, but it doesn't take much. My old road bike has 27x1 (630x25) tires, and they can be a challenge.

If you find a "low spot", deflate the tube, put a little bit of dishwashing soap and water on the tire at the bead, and inflate the tube. You may hear a pop sound when the tire bead seats properly into the wheel.


Can I ride side by side with another cyclist in Switzerland?

The relevant law text in Switzerland is on admin.ch (quoting German version, the French and Italian versions are also available at that link and just as legally binding. I'm not translating it, but very roughly summing it up below):

  Art. 43 Motorräder, Motorfahrräder und Fahrräder; Hintereinanderfahren

  (Art. 46 Abs. 2 und 47 Abs. 1 SVG)

  Die Führer von Fahrrädern und Motorfahrrädern dürfen nicht neben andern Fahr-rädern oder Motorfahrrädern fahren. Sofern der übrige
  Verkehr nicht behindert wird, ist das Nebeneinanderfahren zu zweit
  jedoch gestattet:

  a.
  in geschlossenem Verband von mehr als zehn Fahrrädern oder Motorfahr-rädern;

  b.
  bei dichtem Fahrrad- oder Motorfahrradverkehr;
  c.
  auf Radwegen und auf signalisierten Rad-Wanderwegen auf Nebenstrassen;

  d.
  in Begegnungszonen
  Die Führer von Motorrädern dürfen weder nebeneinander noch neben Fahrrädern oder Motorfahrrädern fahren. Radfahrer und
  Motorfahrradfahrer dürfen nicht neben Motorrädern fahren.

I understand this to mean that any condition a-d is sufficient to allow exactly two (motorized) bicycles side by side, with the caveat that you aren't ever allowed to hinder the rest of the traffic.

Probably there is some other law somewhere defining what exactly is meant by hindering traffic, but I couldn't find it on the spot.

ASVZ Rennvelo (cycling club of several large Swiss universities) has the following in their introduction document for people interested in joining one of their riding groups:

  Die  Fahrer  am  Ende  der  Gruppe  weisen  auf  von  hinten kommendem  Verkehr  hin  mit  dem  Ruf  «Auto!»,  was  heisst,  dass
  jetzt  in  einer  Spur  gefahren  werden  muss  und  nicht  abgelöst
  werden  darf,  bis  der  Verkehr  sicher  überholt  hat.  (Gemäss
  Verkehrsregelv erordnung  Art.  43  darf  «[...]  in  geschlossenem
  Verband von mehr als zehn Fahrrädern [...]» nebenei nander gefahren
  werden.)

So they are interpreting it in a careful way: You should not ride side by side (to switch to the back of the riding formation) if there is any (motorized) traffic overtaking you.

On the other hand groups like Critical Mass or Vélorution stretch the law in the other direction and regularly ride in large groups (20-600) with 3-10 riders side by side taking up to 3 regular lanes and no one to my knowledge has ever been taken to court for that. Police on bicycles recently showed up at such events so they are well aware of them.

Basically I think this boils down to: Only do it on official cycling roads (marked by brown/red signs, no or little motor traffic) and in large groups. That large group should have someone more experienced who can tell when it's okay and when not.


How to make old bike's seatpost slide smoothly when it needs adjustment again?

There are different things that can cause this problem and different tools and techniques that can be used to fix it, depending on the cause and severity.
Frame material cannot be left out of the conversation. Between steel, aluminum, and carbon, the problems and acceptable solutions are all different. Carbon should usually be approached with elbow grease and appropriate chemicals only, aluminum may need that plus material removal methods, and steel may need any of the above plus the full range of more metalworking/manipulation type fixes.
The problems that can potentially exist, from least to most severe, are:

A seatpost that's either out of tolerance or the wrong size.
Corrosion.
Burrs and other slight high spots in a frame that's never received basic honing.
More serious dimensional/distortion type problems left over from manufacture.
Acquired damage, the most common situations being seatpost binder "ears" that have become distorted inward from being forced to clamp an undersized post, or that have folded out and/or rippled from a post being ridden with inadequate insertion. (This one is mostly exclusive to steel frames. Aluminum will tend to either crack or break instead of taking a set if abused in this manner, and carbon will only crack or break.)

Of these maladies:

If it's the seatpost's fault, which isn't common but does happen, it should probably just be replaced if it can't be lived with. If you use a hone or reamer to enlarge the bore to accommodate a post with bad tolerances, you could run into problems getting any future replacements to hold right. That said, there are times when the advantages of doing the quick and dirty fix might win.

Corrosion needs to be cleaned up, ideally with something that won't mechanically enlarge the seattube bore, or at least not in any appreciable way. Doing it chemically or with light sanding is fine, as is appropriate for the frame material. (For the most part, don't sand or abrade a carbon seattube bore unless you really know what you're doing, and likely not even then.) Most shop mechanics would start with a flex-hone (see below) if confronted with a nasty looking bore on a steel or aluminum bike. They are capable of removing material, but won't instantly take a snug fit to a loose one.

Metal frames really should be hit with a flex hone at least once in their lives to take down any burrs or minor tight spots leftover from manufacture. Shops have these tools. Barring access to one, sanding around the seat cluster wherever your fingers can find potential sharp edges is acceptable as well. In some cases using tiny files to create a bevel at the slit/binder area is needed. Removing the binder bolt, sliding in sandpaper, and doing a shoe-shine motion can work too. The nice thing about flex hones is they deal with burrs and high spots it can be troublesome to otherwise see or get to, like from seatstay vent holes. Unless something weird happens, all of this is only necessary once in a bike's life, and will not be any kind of acquired problem. The default is to assume carbon frames need none of this, although in practice they sometimes do in a very targeted and judicious fashion, but only by hand.

A flex-hone

In some instances, on metal bikes only, a seat tube reamer can be an appropriate tool to solve this problem, but it's not the go-to and is a seldom-used tool even in most shops. Reamers are cutting tools that clear a seatpost-sized path down the bore. They remove material relatively freely and in contemporary times are primarily used by framebuilders to correct heat distortion, or in shops to address distortion left by the factory. Sometimes they have a role in fixing acquired damage to the bore, but usually this is limited to smoothing things out after other manipulation has been done to deal with most of the interference. Even then, assuming cold work only, the ideal goal of this kind of repair is to finesse the fit close enough that a hone does all the smoothing needed, i.e. you've gotten things so the post slides in but with some minor roughness. If you go to the reamer, you're making judgment calls about how much material the frame can lose safely and how much you'll be taking, neither of which you know. Reamers are not to be understood as a one-stop fix for reforming the bore after damage. Reamers are also capable of completely destroying the seatpost fit, and of getting damaged themselves if used inappropriately, so it's important to be judicious with them. Reamers can leave sharp edges, especially when their use was warranted in the first place, and should usually be followed by honing.

An adjustable seattube reamer

On steel bikes, sometimes the seattube bore acquires damage that can be fixed with metalworking tools and techniques. How to address this and what's appropriate for different frames/designs could be its own question. One would take different approaches on a thick-walled beater where you're willing to damage the paint and wind up with surface irregularities versus a vintage road bike restoration, for example. But, for the common situations of either crushed in or folded/rippled out openings on a utilitarian sort of bike, it usually comes down to working it back into shape with some combination of dummy posts, soft hammers, etc, with honing and possibly reaming as a final step. There are more framebuilder-level type approaches that would be appropriate on lightweight tubes or if you wanted a better looking result, and repainting would be involved then.

Before any kind of heavy cleaning, sanding, or cutting is done on the seattube bore, it's good to put a rag or paper towel down below where you'll be working to catch debris so it doesn't get in the bottom bracket area. Fish it out afterward with a spoke or small parts grabber.


if you are using a high-end aluminum-shell BB, then get the "press-fit" specific Loctite and use that.  this stuff is made for press-fit applications and holds well without any creeks.  I put it in for my Cervelo R5 and a ceramic-speed BB and it is perfect over 3 years later. If you are using those cheap, plastic cups, then grease and go.


Please help identify my 1940's (?) Tandem Bicycle

This is a little crazy but here goes.

I think it's the front of a Hawthorn men's bike

With a Hawthorne ladies bike wielded on for the back half

The rear stays of the men's bike are removed. The head tube on the ladies bike is removed, the top and bottom tubes are wielded to the seat tube on the men's bike. Both bikes have the correct skip tooth front sprockets.

The connecting tube between the "top" tube and the "bottom" tube on the ladies bike is no longer parallel with the ground on the tandem because the seat tube angle is not the same as the head tube angle.

An extra tube is wielded between the bottom brackets on the two bikes.

The ladies bike is listed as being a 1941. The men's bike is listed as "pre-war".

Here is a good discussion on dating a Hawthorn bike.

  Hawthorne used three different chain rings on their full size prewar balloon models, the ?snowflake? the ?speed-comet? and the ?torque-star? (my names). The torque-star chain ring didn?t appear until 1940 so if it is original to your bike that would date it to 1940-1942.


single speed freewheel Shimano SF MX 30 vs Shimano SF-1200

The removal tool is the main difference. The one on the right is a more widely used fitting, and this  is the tool you would want.The design on the left is more hassle to remove, so most companies use the other style now. Regarding your other question about freewheels, this MX 30 is a fine component, but the White Industries freewheels have a cartridge bearing and the ratchet has more points of engagement and is easier to service, etc. Well worth the money for the lifespan of a component like this.


Generally speaking,

  Inner tubes will last forever, until you get a flat

Unless the tubes are very old - I'm talking 15+ years - you don't have to worry about them dry rotting, cracking, or loosing structural integrity. I have a collection of patched and new inner tubes from since I started riding around 9 years ago, and all of them look brand new.

And in my experience, the most common cause of flats is due to me doing a shoddy job of installing the tube (ie, the tube is pinched, stress on stem, etc). Back when I started working on bikes, I would regularly get flats a couple days after installing new tubes.

In short, if the tubes have lasted this long, and still hold air, don't touch them. I even remember reading (on Sheldon Brown's website?) that he has witnessed very old tubes bond to the tire.


How big of a difference is there
  between them?

The difference is this big...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobmarley753/249120602/

Seriously though, after some research and asking friends, many who have aluminum rollers prefer them over PVC rollers

The unasked question:

  Which one would you buy?

Neither!

Some of my friends have rollers that are cylindrical like the two you have linked to. When asked about their rollers, their biggest complaint is how often they end up riding off the side of their rollers. One even has gotten in trouble with his wife after riding off the edge of his rollers leaving burn marks on the floor. oops! With cylindrical rollers, more concentration is needed to stay on, which can be a good thing if that is something you are looking to improve in your form and concentration.

If I were to buy another set of rollers, I would most definitely purchase another set of parabolic rollers.

I love my parabolic rollers! They were really easy to learn on and I have yet to ride off the edge of them. Not having to worry as much about riding off the edge is really big for me as it allows me to ride longer, feel more comfortable shifting my hands to shift and readjust, and allows me to watch an occasional movie or two while riding. : ) If you are looking at getting a set of rollers, I would highly suggest adding parabolic rollers to your consideration list.

Google search for parabolic rollers to get you rolling ...chuckle

My thoughts about having ridden on plastic rollers:

Never had my rollers statically shock me.
Haven't seen any major wear on the rollers that makes me worried that they won't last for years on end.
Love how quite the rollers are especially compared to my CycleOps Fluid 2 Bike Trainer.
Never needed to use them outside.
Has been a very smooth ride for me and much smoother than my fluid trainer.
Resistance? I love that my rollers have a variable resistance module so I can change the resistance depending on what kind of workout I am going for.


the standover height on my bike is a but tall. I can touch the ground, but I touch the top tube as well. Any ideas?

The bike is too big for you
At 158cm (5'2" for our American viewers), you really should be on a 50cm frame size (or 49 - 51cm depending on brand). That being said, you don't necessarily have to move to a smaller size. You say you can comfortably ride the bike at it's current size, but getting off is challenging. It might help to review your dismount technique. The proper (and easy) way to get off a bike follows these steps:

slow down almost to a stop
take one foot off the pedal
stop and place that foot on the ground
shift your weight onto that foot
swing your other leg backwards and over the saddle
put both feet on the ground.

You now should be standing next to your bike holding the handlebars.
If this solves your problem dismounting, and you continue to ride without discomfort, then you're fine on the bike. If not, you may want to consider getting a bike that fits you a bit better.


Sources of vibration at high speed in and around rear wheel

Note: I've included things not at the rear of the bike as sometimes we think something is coming from one area when it's actually caused by another.

List of things I would check:

Wheels true and round without rubber (check dishing too, but unlikely to cause vibration)
Adding rubber (tire and tube) and inflating does not take wheel assembly out of true (some tires seem to float from side to side a bit and this can make things wobble a bit at speed.
Wheel attachments such as reflectors don't lead to excessive imbalance.
Accessories such as pump, water bottle, lock are firmly attached.
Check entire wheel assembly: spokes, skewers, bearings. Everything should be free of cracks, dents, bends. Parts that move should do so smoothly (bearings, freewheel). Things that should be straight should be straight (spokes, skewers).
Pawls inside freewheel engage and slip smoothly and correctly.
Frame is intact, no cracks or bends. Especially the chainstay and seat stay.
Fork is intact, no cracks or bends.
Headset is installed correctly, no play in steering.
Seat post is intact, no cracks or bends.
Seat post is tight to frame.
Saddle is tight to seat post.
Finally I would check the bottom bracket area. This gets a lot of torque and abuse so give it another look for cracks or fatigue.

Still a problem? Get an experienced rider that is comfortable descending to ride your wheel. Find a nice straight descent with no traffic.


You can have mudguards and a chainguard, mudguards and drop bars, but not drop bars and a chainguard:

http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/

To use an automotive analogy, you are looking for the station-wagon version of a two-seater sports car.

That said, why not put drops on an old Raleigh 3-speed? The 3-speed Sturmey Archer lever will be simple enough to mount, you will just need new bars, levers, all-important bar-end plugs and tape. Obviously the bars will need to be the older 25.4mm clamp size, but you should be able to acquire these bits and bobs second hand for not much money. The alternative option of getting a chainguard to put on a retro Raleigh is a bit harder - those were a bit model specific whereas handlebars are not.

Personally I have a 12 speed Raleigh Gran Sport with the drop bars and a Raleigh Sports 3 Speed with the 'Northroad' bars. I would not swap the bars over on either because they are well thought out and go with the frame geometry. The 'Northroads' bars are a real treat and, if I did not already have a 3-speed with them, I would look for a bike with them.


Do it little by little.

Like a learner driver, go find a car park or a quiet road, you don't want to be doing this in the traffic. Ironically, you probably don't want to be doing this on a surface that will give you a soft landing. I suppose a flat playing field might work, but cycling on grass isn't as smooth as cycling on tarmac and you'll need a predictable, flat surface to work with.

The biggest skill to master is steering through weight, not through moving the handlebars. You probably do this anyway, but it's something to work on deliberately while you've got two hands on the bars. Just sway your weight from side to side and try to go in the direction you want - in a moment you'll be steering like this for real, so try and get it going well when you don't need it.

I don't think it's worth going one handed first - this is an all-or-nothing exercise. Get going in a straight line with your hands lightly on top of the bars (if you're on dropped handle-bars) and just relax your hands. Hold them flat on the bars and just lift them. Don't look at them. Just lift them a little. A fraction of an inch will feel like a foot ...

But then just try to do things with the hands off the bars. Do the leaning and swaying from side to side. Just a little amount. Just enough to drift a little off line then get you back going in a straight line. Then once you're happy, try to sit up. The more you practice, the less of a problem this becomes.

You will feel very unsteady as your centre of gravity moves around. The key here is that on most bikes your centre of gravity is quite low, somewhere around your knees, but as you take your hands off the bars and sit up, it rises significantly, so you need to be happy in controlling it and how to react to how the bike is taking it.

Pretty soon you'll be taking corners.

Of course, don't forget that, unless you're on a fixed or have non-standard equipment, the only way to stop suddenly is probably quite painful ...


Need help choosing compatible rear derailleur, cassette & chain

Everything there looks like it should work together all right. If you are replacing the drive train components here, you may want to get new cabling for the shifters as well.

Any 6/7/8 speed chain should be fine on this setup. The cassettes also seem equivalent.

I'd worry about the condition of the old shifters due to the age, they should be compatible though. However, Alivio rapid fire shifters can be had relatively cheap you need to replace them if anything is wrong with the old shifters.  The original XTR stuff was definitively higher quality when new.


Possible? Yes. Worthwhile? Probably.

You would need to buy a new rear derailleur, the cassette and the crankset (you may reuse the cranks with a new front cog, the tricky part is to get a good chain line, similar to the one you have now with the middle front cog) and of course a new chain.

Rear Hub is fine, it can accomodate a relatively cheap Sunrace 11-50 11-speed cassette.

The dismounting/mounting work is something you can do, no specific trouble, you will need to have 3 specific tools (for cranks and cassette) which will increase the budget needed of about 50/60 $/£/€.

On one hand, doing this you will spend xxx$/£/€ and get the bike you are familiar with, upgraded to a nice 1x11 speed system and you personally will understand a bit more of bicycle manteinance&co.

On the other hand, I think the Trek Mamba is a entry model with rather standard components, so it may be worthwhile to buy a used mtb for 2 times (or even 3 times) the amount xxx with similar geometry and a 1x11 system already installed ... if the "new" bike fits you, you are good to go, sell the Trek Mamba and you recover a bit of money, otherwise you can be almost sure that you can swap the 1x11 components to your Trek Mamba and viceversa and sell the "new" bike for something around xxx.


I've just found out that it's a Miyata SportRunner.


Here is a good reference for California's bicycle laws.   Lafayette's laws are here.

I found nothing prohibiting riding on sidewalks, and nothing specifically mentioning riding in the direction of the crosswalk.  However both the state and city codes require bicyclists to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.


Cramps/pain in feet and toes after turbo trainer rides and cyclocross races

It's almost certainly the shoes but exactly what is a really variable question. New shoe problems tend to fit into the following:

1, Does the shoe fit properly (length and width)? Seems the answer is no as you got a size too big which means your foot will move a bit. This can be mitigated with the correct insole and you can even get mouldable ones which you heat, put in your shoes then put your shoes on.
2, Is the insole right? Loads of shoes come with an "average" insole which doesn't really suit everyone. My road shoes came with 4 sets of inserts to tune the fit properly and it's noticeable when I go back to the cheaper ones. Consider transferring your old insoles if they fit or get some new ones
3, Is the cleat position right? Given the shoe size is wrong, this will be hard to get right just by eye. I tend to take a few hours riding with a pair of shoes to get it approximately right and then maybe another 20-30 hours to get it exactly right. After that I either use the system the shoes use to retain the cleat position when I put new ones on or the low-tech approach of a marker pen.

I'd do 3, then 2 then if that fails and your feet still hurt, get new shoes.


Should I get a bike that's too small for me?

Riding a bike in the wrong size (either too small or too large) for long periods can lead to all kinds of lower back, upper back, neck and shoulder issues en various leg injuries, mostly in the knee. Also, your power output can be reduced significantly. So a properly sized bicycle is important.

However, "properly sized" really depends on the rider. Sheldon Brown has a lot of good info, but mostly it comes down to:

Try the bicycle to find out how it feels.
Compare it to your current bicycle.

Finally, you can compensate some sizing issues in this specific case with a longer stem and/or higher saddle. How this works also depends on the relative length of your legs and your upper body.


How do we understand if caliper brakes can be installed on the frame?

Caliper brakes attach differently to V brakes, they have one pivot bolt in the centre rather than one each side. In your first photo there's a bolt that is in the right place although it's there for a mudguard/fender not a brake:

A caliper brake actually needs a hole right through there, and has a long bolt that goes right through. On your bike there are two chainstays there, with a brake bridge across. The problem is that it might not be strong enough to take an effective brake, since it's probably designed just to hold a mudguard. It will look something like this:

At the front, your fork is probably drilled to take a caliper brake and that part will definitely be strong enough. If it's not drilled you can probably get away with drilling it.

One alternative is to use cable pull adapters, the most common model being "travel agent".

It's likely to be cheaper to sell that bike and buy another one that has drop bars, than to convert the bike you have. Even if you use second hand parts for most of it, the new extra parts you need will add up.


Maximum weight an average bicycle can carry?

On a road surface you will be fine - try not to jump any kerbs ;-)

Compared to the force when a bike with even a light rider goes over say a pothole or a jump the static load from a 120Kg rider is small.

You might want to check the spoke tension reglarly - those are the parts that will suffer most.


Not a big fan of this type of answer, but wikipedia has a pretty good definition of it.

  The races are usually 90-140
  kilometers in total length. While some
  are longer or shorter, most are about
  120 kilometers. The race is comprised
  of a set distance and number of laps
  over the established course[2]. There
  are typically 10 to 20 laps, of
  between 5 and 10 kilometers. The race
  usually begins and ends in the center
  of the town which is hosting the day's
  race. The race will occupy the roads
  in town as well as the roads
  surrounding, either city streets or
  farmland.

  The course usually has a rolling
  enclosure. This means that while the
  race is not passing through, the
  streets are open to traffic. A
  designated car, usually with a caution
  sign and a red flag, leads the riders
  and close the cross streets to
  traffic. A following car, usually with
  signs and a green flag, open the
  streets back up to traffic.

  [...]

  The kermesse is similar to the
  criterium but differs primarily in
  total course length and lap length.
  While a criterium traditionally last
  60-90 minutes, a kermesse will often
  take 120-180 minutes. A single lap in
  a criterium is usually less than 5
  kilometers while the kermesse is
  usually 5-10 kilometers per lap.

See the link for info on payouts and UCI information.


When I shift to the smallest cog, it's suddenly too loose

Check your cassette is on properly. The smallest rear sprocket spinning around sounds like it is not on the freehub and spinning freely between the frame and the freehub.

There is a lockring on the outermost of the cassette which fastens the cassette to the freehub on the wheel. The cassette has notches machined out of it to match the freehub body and allow engagement.

If the lockring comes loose - the smallest cog may pop-off the freehub and not be engaged at all. You should be able to see this but you will also have a wobbling cassette.


How to determine wheel size on touring bike

The gear system doesn't play into the rear tire sizing.

Assuming your old tires are 26x2.0 (not 36x2.0), your rim is an ISO 559 rim and you can buy any tire marketed as 26 x some number in decimal.

That being said, the size of the tire you can run in practice is determined by frame clearance (not a problem since you're going to a smaller tire) and the rim width. If the tire is too narrow for the rim, increased likelihood for rim damage from road hazards. If the tire is too wide, you may have reduced control. But the tire will physically go on a rim thats too wide/narrow if its of the right diameter (in this case, 26 x something in decimals or a tire thats marked as ISO 559).

That being said, most likely you are fine with running a 26x1.75 on these rims.


It's a difficult question to answer as there are a lot of personal variables.
"Nothing too rough in my mind" being the biggest variable.
For a lot of flat or rolling terrain without many obstacles; rock gardens, gnarly roots, etc, I would say the stock fork is fine. I have an old 26er with a similar fork which does fine on fast rolling trails but sometimes bottoms out on steep but abrupt drop ins.
However, to be honest, if I was worried about the fork being able to handle the terrain, I most likely wouldn't even consider riding a folding bike on it.