You've given an answer to yourself already - it's the 'vintage' factor.

To elaborate a bit more on that have a look into supply and demand law.
For the items that are no longer in production the supply is limited and shrinking (not every component of a certain model will end up on the market, some get damaged, some age beyond the possibility of restoration, etc.). It's like with e.g. 10 y.o. whisky. They've put a certain, fixed amount of whisky into the casks 10 years ago and there won't be more.

When the component in question is not yet 'vintage' and not really wanted, the price drops. Once the demand is rising, so does the price.

Then you may encounter some components that were wanted from day one as they were not available on the amateurs' market in the beginning (vide some Campagnolo groupsets that were available only to professional teams).

And of course, the nowadays groupsets are often superior to their equivalents from previous eras (e.g. some say that a new 105 is at the level of 5 y.o. Ultegra, just to give you an idea) but it's up to you whether you want to ride something that everyone can buy off-the-shelve or rather some vintage and unique equipment.


How to remove and find a compatible chainring for my FSA Comet 1x10

Take the right crank off with a big high-leverage allen wrench or socket (I think it's a 10mm). It's got a self extractor so all you have to do is unscrew it, although occasionally disassembling, cleaning and re-greasing the self extractor is good. Use this special tool to remove the lockring that holds the chainring on. Replace ring, torque lockring. Clean spindle lobes, crank bore, and crank bolt threads, regrease all of them, and put it back together with proper torque.
This is one of the more totally proprietary ones. You need a specific FSA chainring, unless someone is making third party parts for it. I'm not sure whether the extremely similar looking Cannondale standard is actually the exact same spline pattern for the ring/spider. If it is you may be able to get something like this to work, potentially giving you more options, although keeping the chainline right is also a consideration. Same deal with using the other FSA ones such as the Afterburner rings with the same spline pattern - it's possible that each crank model may want a different offset on the ring for correct chainline.


How about grabbing the tyre where it's started to come off with some pliers. Then put a foot on the wheel, and pull hard.

Good luck! I know this can be really frustrating, because I had a tyre that was tightly stuck before. If it really won't come off, buy a new tyre that looks more forgiving, and chop the old one off with some wire cutters or a knife.

I decided to replace my too tight tyre even though I eventually did manage to get it off and back on because I considered that if I ever had a flat away from home and all my tools, there would be no way I could repair it, and I didn't want to risk being stranded a long way from home.


Bolts don't fit for Stronglight ring on Athena 11s

There are definitely shorter chainring bolts available, I don't know if campagnolo makes the correct size (2mm shorter than your current one's) though.

You could try to grind or file down the female part of each chainring bolt by approximately 2mm. This wil enable you to screw in the male part of the chainringbolt further which will enable you to correctly clamp the chainring(s) to the cranck arm. You might need to clean up the threads in order for the male/female parts of the bolts to easily thread into eachother.

You could alternatively use something like this: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=59276
I have seen similar spacers on an old shimano 600 cranckset.

there are also so called 'chainline spacers':
https://wickwerks.com/products/1x-chainline-spacers/
The same effect could be achieved with appropriately sized washers though (which will be a cheaper option).

You can choose from various chainring bolt lengths on this website:
https://www.benscycle.com/chainring-bolts/search

Cheaper chainring bolts in multiple lengths:
https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1pc-sport-Mountain-Bicycle-Crankset-Screws-Nut-For-Bolts-Chainring-Wheel-screw-Crankset-bolts-Nut-For/32479905496.html

PS: iirc you only need to replace the 'female' (threads on the inside) part of the chainring bolts with a shorter version, you could potentially keep using the original campagnolo 'male' parts which might be desireable such that you keep the campagnolo branding on your chainring bolts. Using the original (longer) 'male' parts will however make the thread stick out approx 2mm on the back of the inner chainring (when not using shims/spacers/washers).

If you could measure the thread length on the chainring bolts you currently have I could find you some suitable (2mm shorter) chainring bolts.

I hope this helps.


Rear dropout with adjustments screws of a single speed bicycle

With a backwards-opening (track) dropout like you have, yes, you typically will have to screw them out to get the slack you need to remove the wheel.
They achieve a couple different things on a backwards opening dropout:

On a similar dropout without them, you have to keep the centering of the wheel more eyeballed in place as you tighten the nuts, and as you do that you also have to keep the chain tensioned. There are some tricks to doing that without much hassle, but the adjustement screw(s) make it much easier. With them, starting from the point where they're loose and the wheel is in place, you tighten the drive side one down until you have the chain tension you want, tighten the drive side axle nut, and then screw the non-drive side one in until the wheel is centered in the frame and then tighten the nut.
They eliminate the wheel's ability to squirm around as you tighten the axle nut, which also helps with achieving the above.
They are an insurance policy against the hub being able to slip in the frame under heavy loads. Most of the time this shouldn't be a problem if the axle nuts are properly prepped and tight, and many frames have similar dropouts without adjusting screws.

One of the deals with them is as the drivetrain wears, your chain will pick up just a little slack, so it's likely they're not in proper adjustment per se anymore anyway if they've been in place for a year and a half.
This all leads to the question of how to use them properly to get correct chain tension on a fixed gear or singlespeed. That is a good question and there is a lot written about it. The simple answer is that as you add tension to a chain on a fixed/SS drivetrain, there reaches a point where the chain begins to bind a little as you spin the cranks because all the free space in the internal parts of the chain is being taken up. You want to be just shy of that point, but still tight enough that it's physically impossible for the chain to derail and that the top run of the chain looks like a straight line from the cog to the ring. As you read different takes on how to define good chain tension, it's pretty common to see people site numbers for how much the chain should be able to wiggle up and down, but these are inexact at best because it depends meaningfully on the chain construction, chainstay length, etc. Use your tensioning screws to go to where you can feel it binding a little, then back off from there. Also while messing with them, always put a bit of oil or grease on the threads if they feel dry.


Finding compatible fixed-gear cog and lockring

You are right that there is no magic way to tell which standard a hub is made to, if the manufacturer does not tell. If the threads are not damaged, calipers are indeed the best way to find out which standard the hub is. The thread pitch difference between English and ISO/Italian is too small to detect with pitch gauge.

The difference is small enough and aluminum soft enough that you can brute force a smaller thread cog on a larger hub. If someone already did this, measurement will get you the smaller size. It would be better to stick to the smaller standard afterwards.

With lock ring things are easier for two reasons: First, the standards are so different that measuring is easy. Second, you can just use the lock ring that came with the bike unless you managed to destroy it.


Is the max pressure on tubeless rims specifically for tubeless, or do they apply to tubed tires too?

As for rim strong enough for highest.  The force the rim must take is both psi and size.  If you have twice as many molecules pushing 1/2 as hard the total force is the same.  It is not exactly force on the rim bead but the force on the tire to pull it off the bead.

Here is a reference where they give different pressure for tube versus tubeless.
Hutchinson tires information  See question 7.
I just bought some Pyranha 2 CX tubeless and the pressure on the box is different from the pressure on the tire.  Box is clearly the tubeless pressure as it is in the tubeless mounting instructions.

It is a lot about how the and where tire engages rim.
On Stans (ZTR) the bead is shallow so you get more tire evolved in the adsorb rocks side.
On Stans I would assume they mean max pressure period until you see a different pressure listed for with tubes.  Their story is with a more shallow rim you need less pressure. See the diagram in this literature that standard rim with tube engages differently.
Comparison of a standard bicycle rim to a Stan’s BST Rim

How the different rims do UST varies.  And how they cross to tube varies.  Some have more of a dual type of engagement and some are designed just for UST.

ztr_rim_specifications

  Stan’s rims are a tubeless design and care must be taken when using
  tubes.

If you want to go both ways then don't go Stan's.

Stans has great support - you should try and contact them.

See the two diagrams below.  The first is a Stans and the second a Mavic.
In these examples the Mavic has a separate groove for UST - a tube tire will be on the outer part of the rim.
According to DWGKNZ the Mavic will seat on the outer even tubeless.
Still you have different designs and some are designed for tubeless only and some fro both ways.

I am learning from comments from DWNG.
UST is a tighter standard than I was aware. The bead must have a specific design.
UST tubeless-tire system
There are still variations in the implementation.
Some rims will cross over better than others.


Is there any way to remove a rear cassette WITHOUT a cassette wrench?

Use the correct tool.  There really is no other good answer.

Bodges that could get the old one off, maybe

a hammer and cold chisel - likely to upset the threads on the freehub.
a grinder and cutoff disk - guaranteed to damage the freehub, plus throws sparks and metal shavings into the mechanism.   I've actually done this to a cheap bike where all I needed to save were the spokes, and not the freewheel or hub.  Most enjoyable.
a gas axe/torch will definitely cut the lockring off, but you'll also damage the hub and spokes, and possibly the rim too.

Practical Alternatives

You need a cassette lockring removal tool.  As per comments they're a few dollars from China, or about 10x that from your local bike shop immediately.

Park FR-5, likely to last decades.

You will also need some way to hold the old cassette to undo the lockring.  The correct tool is a Chain Whip

Park SR-1, again expect 30 years service out of this tool.  It costs three times as much as the locknut tool.  I have managed to bodge this by using a length of worn old chain and a pair of vise-grips.

What can I do?

There exist Bicycle Co-operatives who exist to help you with your bike.  They're generally free or donation-if-you-can levels.  And they will have these basic tools for you to use, and may even run workshops.  For me locally, RAD (or Recycle-a-Dunger) is a good service, and can be found at http://www.radbikes.co.nz/

Another option is any kind of "mens shed" which are global, and tend to be populated by some very handy chaps.  Example  http://www.kinrossmensshed.org/what-we-do.html

A third option is to ask around anyone you know who cycles.  Worst that can happen is they say no.

Lastly, you might be able to take your (clean) wheel into your Local Bike Shop and ask for help.  If you're a customer, a LBS might be able to help by quickly slapping it through, for minimal or even no charge.


How accurate are indoor trainer power meters?

I will presume you are asking about the types of trainers that one mounts one's own bike onto, and not a dedicated "bike" trainer such as a Monark ergometer or a CycleOps Indoor Cycle (ergometers such as these are used in exercise physiology laboratories and can be calibrated to be very accurate).

Consistency and Accuracy of Speed Measurement

Accurate power measurement in most indoor trainers depends on accuracy in speed measurement. A full description of the relevant factors is long and complex. The short answer is that some indoor trainers are more consistent and accurate than others, and we can group them into rough categories.

In general, accurate power measurement from an indoor trainer depends on a consistent load response with respect to speed. Thus, your question is equivalent to asking, "how consistent is recorded speed for a given power input?" If that relationship is consistent then you can simply put a speedometer on a trainer and convert the observed speed to power. A handful of modern software applications (e.g., Trainerroad or Golden Cheetah) do essentially this: one mounts an ANT+ speed sensor on the bike and, if the trainer is consistent in its response, the application converts that speed into power.

The speed-power relationship will depend on tire pressure, the tire-to-roller contact pressure, the ambient temperature, and the type of resistance unit used by the trainer to generate the load. For example, common types of load generators include wind fans, magnetic resistance units, fluid resistance units, and electric load generators; rollers use frictional resistance generated by tire deformation, belt losses, and (a very small amount of) aerodynamic drag generated by the spinning rear and front wheels. Wind-turbine fans tend to be quite consistent as long as the tire-to-roller contact patch is consistent and air density is constant. The relatively new Lemond Revolution Trainer uses a large fan directly driven via its own cassette so does not rely on a tire-to-roller interface and independent tests have shown that its speed-power response can be both precise and accurate. Some discussion of how the tests were performed and the drag parameters were estimated are here. As an aside, wind turbine trainers tend to be quite noisy.

Because the load generation on a set of rollers is mostly determined by rolling resistance it, too, can be quite consistent. Measurements with a calibrated Power Tap show that if tires, tubes, air pressure, number of wheel spokes, and total mass are known, rollers are extremely consistent: consistent enough that high precision estimates of rolling resistance can be made using this setup. For example, the differences in the rolling resistance of tires and tubes described at biketechreview.com were measured using rollers and a calibrated power meter.

The consistency of magnetic and fluid load generators tends to degrade with temperature. Some fluid generators use more temperature-stable fluids, and thus tend to be more consistent than magnetic load generators -- however, one fairly well-known brand of fluid generator trainers has a distinct "temperature threshold" through which it passes so the resistance is quite step-like. The consistency of both magnetic and fluid trainers can be improved if one can maintain their load units at a steady equilibrium temperature.

Among the trainers with electrically-based load generators, the Computrainer, the Velodyne, and the Velotron are reportedly consistent and can be calibrated to be accurate against a known accurate power meter.

The Tacx Flow

In my experience, the Flow is not particularly accurate although in certain modes it can be consistently inaccurate. In other modes it is inconsistently inaccurate. However, in all test modes I've used, the Flow overestimates rather than underestimates power compared to a Power Tap.

To demonstrate consistency of the Tacx Flow, I collected the data below with the same tires, same tubes, same bike, and same rolldown calibration number (of zero). The black and red dots were collected four months apart in time, for four different "slope factors" and demonstrate that over that period the speed-reported power of the Flow was consistent.

However, while consistent, the Flow was inaccurate. There was no combination of calibration number, scale factor, and slope that I could find that would produce accurate power estimates across the range of speeds tested (accurate compared to a known-accurate Power Tap). Since I had the Power Tap, I quickly gave up trying to find the "right" parameters. However, over a "moderate" range between 200 and 300 watts, a scale factor of 85 and a rolldown calibration number of 4 came close -- above and below that range, the Flow grew worse.

That was for the Flow in "trainer" or "slope" mode. In "ergo" mode, where the Flow is supposed to adjust the load in order to keep power constant even if the rider changes speed and cadence, its performance was abysmal. In the plot below, three different scale factors were tested for a set ergo power level and varying wheel speed. If the Flow had been able to adjust the load to keep power constant at varying speed, power (as measured by an accurate Power Tap) would be independent of speed and each group of dots would be horizontal. As can be seen, they are not. This demonstrates that in ergo mode, the Flow's load generator is easily overmatched at high and low wheel speed. It is thus wise not to rely on the Flow's ergo mode.


Dedicated bike GPS computer over smartphone

I used a phone for about two months, then bought a Wahoo GPS computer in March 2018.
The primary motivation was that

My phone has lousy GPS (Huawei P10).  Multiple times a week, it would claim that I'd teleported half way across town, lose signal and never get it back, or drift so that the track would look continuous but end up hundreds of meters from my destination.  I hear that iPhones have pretty good GPS.  My Wahoo has near-perfect GPS; the worst it does is beep at me in forests on cloudy days because it thinks I've wandered too far off the side of the road.  Some speed sensors can talk to phones by Bluetooth, which may improve phone (and cycle computer) tracking accuracy.

Other advantages:

Size and mounting. My phone isn't big, but it's much bigger than my Wahoo and I found it somewhat inconvenient on my handlebars.
Battery life.  My Wahoo claims 15hrs. I probably get more like twelve, but that means I only need to recharge it about once a week.  Six hours of battery life would mean that, if I set out on a 4.5hr ride without having my phone fully charged and things took longer than I was expecting, I could easily be caught an hour away from home with no GPS and no way to call for help.  Which is to say...
Redundancy. Having a cycle computer and a phone means that I have one device to keep me safely on the right track and a separate device that will give me backup navigation and, in the worst case get me help.
User interface.  The Wahoo has six buttons. While I'm riding, I can press the buttons to get to the screen I want without looking, and then glance at the computer to find out what I need to know. Touch-screen navigation of the phone requires you to look at it and is awkward when things are bumping around. I put the phone inside a waterproof pouch (because, England) but found that made the touch screen awkward to use.  Touch screens are a pain with gloves, too.
Crash resistance.  The one time I've crashed, my Wahoo (and my knees and shoulder) got scuffed up against the concrete in a way that I'm pretty sure would have wrecked my phone, but which caused only cosmetic damage to the Wahoo.  My phone was in my jersey pocket and was completely undamaged and available for use if I'd needed to take photographs or call an ambulance, or a friend or taxi to get me home. Of course, one can easily imagine  a crash in which the contents of one's jersey pocket get trashed, while stuff mounted on the handlebars survives. On the other hand, the phone felt much less secure on the handlebar than the Wahoo does.

In other words, not much has actually changed.  The only thing I've not mentioned that came up a lot in the previous thread was screen brightness.  I guess my phone's screen brightness would probably be fine, but it was kind of moot, as I never did figure out how to stop it blanking the screen after a few minutes of riding.  I'm not sure how my phone would have coped with being in its waterproof pouch on a really hot day; I only used it in the English winter.


Tube sealant vs. tire liners vs. puncture-resistant tires -- which best prevents flats?

There is more to tire set-up than just puncture proof.  Many are also interested in tire suppleness, traction and rolling resistance. Tubeless tires are the in thing at the moment because tubeless construction take material away (aka the the tube) and allows lower pressures, which results in a more supple tire, that has more traction and often less rolling resistance.

Supple tires can often roll faster and with less effort as they deform more easily to surface imperfections. This translates into a smoother ride and less pedaling effort and more traction. Many of the puncture proof setups add material to the tire making the tire carcass stiffer, this in turns means it takes more energy to deform the tire when rolling (or encountering a bump), which in turns results in a harsher ride and a higher rolling resistance (the energy to deform the tire has to come from somewhere; i.e., forward momentum).

Summarizing:

Tire Liner - Cheap and reusable as it can be applied to current tires, but has a fiddly set up (e.g., getting the liner to stay in place), will reduce suppleness of the tire and does not provide puncture protection on the side wall.
Puncture resistant tires - These have what is in essence a liner built into the tire carcass. Because of the unified construction should be more supple build than a tire liner and vary the degree of coverage. Different manufacturers and models will have different trade-off between suppleness and puncture resistance.
Tubeless - Primary goal is really to create a lighter, more supple tire, that can be run at lower pressures, the setup also happens to have good puncture resistance properties if sealant levels are maintained. Mounting a tubeless setup can be a hassle (i.e., you need high pressure to seat the tire), sealant is required and handles sealing the system including handling punctures. Sealant also needs to be topped up every few months as it dries out, and without sealant you lose puncture protection. The setup also requires wheels with tubeless compatible or tubeless ready rims, tubeless tape, and tubeless valves are also required. The design goal was less to be "better" than (1) or (2) in terms of puncture protection, but optimizing the tire for a different set of criteria (i.e., weight, suppleness, traction, rolling resistance and puncture protection).

If puncture resistance is your only concern then your "double-shield" setup looks like a good solution and will be easier than tubeless.


one side of cantilever brake pads does not spring back

If you have cantilever brakes with no adjustment screw you can usually bend the spring.

At the top of the arm the metal spring probably pushes against a post. On the side that's stuck to the rim unhook the spring and push the spring away from the rim. Don't do it too hard to start with. Hook it back to the post and try to see if it's balanced the brakes. Keep trying until the brakes balance.


Single Speed/Fixie Wheels with cup and cone bearings

Yes, you can get all the cheap cup and cone fixed/single-speed hubs and wheels you want. The hubs are still mass produced (unless they made so many during the fixed gear craze that they're still coasting off that, but I digress) and used as OEM on bikes and aftermarket wheels. Examples would be the Formula TH31 (fix/free) and TH32 (fix/fix) and Joytech A166DSE. For some reason KT is no longer listing your cup and cone Quando hubs on their catalog or site. I don't know what the story is there. In the US, one of the major distributors and wheel producers, J&B Importers, makes a bunch of wheels with the aforementioned Formula hubs, and any shop can get them for you.

The track hubs from Shimano and Campy are also cup and cone, and very high-end. Because of their lack of sealing, I've never loved the idea of getting them just to ride on the road unless you live somewhere without weather or dirt. But they are some of the most exquisitely made cup and cone hubs around, if you're into that sort of thing.

You really don't need anything to do a fine job of replacing the bearings on the common cartridge bearing track/singlespeed hubs beyond a hammer, a rag, some sockets and washers, and a block of wood. That sounds crude, but the fact that they use a solid, shouldered axle design means that there's no way of getting a special press on them anyway, and no bushings that are going to do anything for you that the old bearing can't.


A technique which may help you get a more efficient pedaling stroke is an exercise called isolated leg. With your bicycle on a trainer or on a slight uphill, unclip your left leg and pedal using only your right leg for 30-60 strokes. Then switch and do the same for your other leg. This exercise will give a very natural feel to how your legs should be rotating to achieve an efficient pedaling stroke.


How to get tight tire on rim of a road bike

Like with the second bead, push the part of bead that is already on the rim to the deepest part in the middle of the rim. Leave the tube completely out, you can put it on after the first bead has been completed.


That's pretty heavy pitting. If you check the hub inserted race, you'll probably find that it's also pitted, though nowhere near as bad. There's more surface area on the cup, so the cone usually pits a lot more, which is good because the cup is typically not replaceable. If the cup is pitted, however, the cone will prematurely start pitting again, though it will take a while.

The good news is that this isn't likely to result in an unexpected failure that leaves you stranded. These cheap cup & cone hubs will go on and on and on with damaged races and most riders never notice it. In the "old days" of Normandy and other cheap, European hubs, it was rare to find an unpitted cone in a used hub, even if it had never been contaminated with dirt or water. I've seen inexpensive Taiwanese hubs that can go thousands of miles and spin as smooth as a sealed bearing hub. Pick up the front end of any well-used, inexpensive bike and give the front wheel a spin. The amount of rumbling you feel in the handlebars is an indication as to how much the cones are pitted.

BTW, one of the really nice things about hubs with sealed cartridge bearings is that the entire bearing is easily replaceable. As long as these hubs use standard bearings, as most do, the replacements are quite inexpensive and you can replace one in less time than it takes to clean and regrease a cup & cone bearing.

You shouldn't have any problem getting replacement cones through a shop. Check the rest of the wheel carefully and if the rim is true and spokes are in good shape, then by all means go ahead and rebuild the hub with a new cone. Just be sure to replace the balls as well.


In the olden days one idea was that the bottom of the levers should be along a line projected from the bottom straight section of the bars. I don know why, and that was often an uncomfortable position for me. So I am a long-term follower of the "what feels comfortable" approach.

This is connected to what angle your handlebars sit at, so it's important to get that right at the same time. If you were happy with how they were before you started, leave them there.

My first step would be to attach the brake levers to bare bars, ideally without cables (it's easier if you're doing new cables at the same time). If you have a wind trainer, put the bike in that because it will make evaluating the feel of the bike easier.

Then try the two positions that matter to me - resting on the hoods, and standing up pulling on the levers. The latter is harder because it's usually something I do on hills or in sprints, not cruising along the flat. So I focus mostly on the resting position.

Sit on the bike, rest on the hoods and see how you feel. Lift the levers a little and see if that feels better. Then drop them back. Only a few millimetres at a time. Once you have somewhere that works for you, you're done.


Training for 150 km race in 2 months practicality and plan

The OP needs to cover 150km on flat surface within 12 hours. It's the average speed of 12.5 km/h.
Even if we are more realistic and allow for one hour break every 2h15', we end up with four stages of less than 38km each to be ridden at the average of less than 17km/h.
If we put some challenge into the event and, let's say, set on the average speed (excluding stops) at 20km/h, we are talking about riding for 7.5 hours effectively with the total of 4.5 hours of breaks. And 20km/h on a modern road bike on even surface is "walking pace".

For someone that does 45 mins jogging every day it's totally doable, however certain conditions apply.

First of all make sure that your road  bike is properly fitted, i.e. the handlebars are not too far from the saddle. On the weekend have a 50km ride within 2 hours. Check how you feel (muscle pain and lower back pain). The very next day have another ride for 50km in 2 hours. Do you experience muscle pain? Work on your nutrition. Lower back pain? Bike fitting needs to be improved (most likely your stem is too long forcing you to stretch too much). Any other pain? Work on your position. Repeat every weekend until no sufferings on the second day occur. You have 7 iterations, that's a lot.

Make sure the gear you have is 100% in order so you don't loose time on technical stops. If no on-the-spot technical assistance is provided during the event, provide yourself with one. What I'm using is:

spare tube
bicycle pump
tyre patch set (check if the tyre rubber solution is not expired)
dog bone wrench
basic mutlitool with chain break device
spare master link for the chain (I discourage you from using power link as it needs pliers for disassembly), should your chain break in the middle
latex gloves in case you need to perform dirty fix and you don't want to ruin your handlebar wrap
ductape (1 meter strip wrapped around some object, even bike frame)

Except for the pump and ductape you can easily fit the rest under the saddle in a saddle bag.

Use proper clothing, i.e. padded shorts and cycling jersey (large pockets on your back), helmet, gloves and sunglasses. Don't forget sunblocker, you don't want sunburns ruin your day. Ride "naked" - the underwear will make your sitting parts sore very quickly.

On the day of the event take good care of proper nutrition. Slow carbohydrates for the breakfast will give you strong foundation for the whole day. For the race take some power bars or ginger bread snacks and a lot of hydration (e.g. isotonic drink in tabs that you will dissolve in water topped up as you go). Eat regularly, even if you don't feel like. The same for drinking. And don't check the current results too often. The more frequent you check your distance the slower you go, perceived.

Why I'm writing this? Last weekend I've ridden Eroica for 160km. I'm not an athlete (my BMI is around 27, fat percentage around 18%). For the past 5 years I was jogging 2 times a week on the average, distances between 5 and 12 km. The longest bicycle trip in one day was less than 100 km.

My preparation for the event (except the technical details I've described above) during 2 months prior to the event was:
  - ride between 50 and 60 km once a week in less than 2h30'
  - do running exercise for 45mins once a week

One week before the event I did 2 consecutive days riding which went well.

I rode the route in less than 8 hours of effective cycling and in 11 hours total (scheduled stops on the route and technical difficulties) with the average of 19.9km/h. Eroica consisted also of unpaved roads and 1567 m elevation gain (measured by strawa was more than 1800).
And I could easily ride 20km family ride the following day.

 TL; DR;
You training schedule is ok, have couple of test rides of 50km  and good luck!


Can I use a 29er rigid front fork and still use 650b wheels (brakes are disc)? Any negative side effects?

With disk brakes you can easily run 650B in a 29er fork.
The main consideration is maintaining the bikes geometry. You should look for a 29 fork with the offset and a crown to axle measurement as close as possible to the original.
As you are changing to no suspension travel, remove the sag from the original forks measurements (typically 20%, 25mm for a 120).   From specs the fork you have has a 504mm axle-crown, less 25mm sag, you want a 29er rigid with about 480mm axle crown. (You do need to confirm these numbers by measuring your fork.)


I have the Velo-Orange double-leg, folding Copenhagen kickstand. The folding styles are much better compared with rigid style (aka, motorcycle) kickstands in that they fold out of the way rather than at risk of being hit by your ankle or the cranks.

I bought a cheap pair of folding kickstands and disprefer them to the VOs. The problem with the cheap one was that the plastic "boots" on them fell off easily as they were not tightly fitted or easily secured with an allen screw.  The spring is also not as strong and the manufacturing tolerances greater so it "clunked" a lot when I rode over bumps.

But it looks like you're in Australia Russia so the VO may not be available to you. Still, I'd ask at your local bike store if they have a high quality version similar to the VO. The VO is US$33 so this gives you a sense of how much you should pay for good kickstand -- but be aware that some unscrupulous ebay vendors will charge ridiculous amounts of money for cheap merchandise in the hopes of catching a rube.


Pros and cons of gears in bottom bracket vs. rear hub?

The advantages of the Pinion are that the weight and complexity are in the middle of the bike and not being bounced around in the hub of the rear wheel, especially for a bike with suspension (the unsprung weight is lower). Also, because it sits in a custom housing it can be whatever size and shape they want, rather than being constrained by the width of the rear hub and needing to be both circular and balanced.

As David says, it's easier to switch the rear wheel out either when you are fixing a puncture or because you have several rear wheels (different tyres or whatever). You could take this to the extreme with a fat tyre bike and have a skinny standard 700c rear wheel for around town and a 4" fat wheel for off road. I am considering this for my recumbent touring tandem, as the extra weight of a pair of spare wheels might be compensated for by the ability to switch from skinny road tyres to proper offroad tyres and wheels.

One more subtle advantage of the Pinion is that ground speed doesn't matter. Rohloff hubs become noticeably less efficient at high speed, but one of the places they're most desirable is in velomobiles and other speedy bikes. This is compounded by those bikes often using smaller rear wheels (406 is common, 355 is about as common as 622) which further increases the rotation speed of the hub. With a Pinion that doesn't matter, the gearbox always rotates at your pedalling speed.

The advantage of the Rohloff is that it's proven technology, parts are fairly widely available and the wheel will fit into a standard bike frame. Especially for long distance touring, the thought of being stuck somewhere remote with a broken Pinion is horrifying, because the only option is wait for a new gearbox or bike to be shipped to you, or give up and go home. The Rohloff alternative is both less likely (because we have seen Rohloff hubs do 100Mm trips quite often already), and less terrible (because you can convert back to derailleur gears or even single speed using standard bike parts). I'll hit 100Mm on my Rohloff in sometime the next couple of years, it's one of the early-ish ones (4 digit serial) and it's been trouble-free despite regular use in load bikes as well as touring bikes.

The bottom bracket gearbox has to deal with much greater torque than the hub does. Rohloff require a 2.5x gearing down between the cranks and the hub, so all the parts can be correspondingly smaller and lighter. A fit cyclist can put a surprising amount of torque into a bottom bracket, akin to a decent car engine (but at much lower rpm). Schlumpf had a problem at one stage with their sintered gears shattering in use (I experienced that), largely because they underestimated just how much force was involved. This makes the Pinion more complex to design and build for a given weight target, and probably more expensive as a result. That it can be bigger and irregularly shaped counters this to some degree.

Finally, the Pinion really can't be sold as an after-market part because you need a framebuilder to cut your bike up and fit the gearbox. It's quite possible to fit a Rohloff to almost any bike whenever you have the money available to buy one. And if the Rohloff doesn't work for you, you can take it out and sell it second hand.


Differences between Izoard XP 2013 and Izoard XP 2014?

Annual improvements in bikes tend to small and incremental. They have been doing this for over 100 years, unless someone comes out with something revolutionary, its hard to see how they can make a big difference. If it is revolutionary, it won't be the same model name (and it wont be 105).

For me, a grand in the wallet makes the 2013 a better bike. In a year, the 2014 will be a grand cheaper and in two years the same price on the second hand market as the 2013. If I wanted to spend $3000, I would buy the 2013 model of a $4500 bike.

Only you can decide if small incremental improvements are worth the money to you.


Trek makes good, reliable bikes across their price range.  I have 25 of 'em in our patrol-bike "fleet" at present.
The 6000 is well-reviewed, but it is designed and delivered as an off-road machine.  It will be less than optimum when ridden on pavement.
If you were going to spend most of your time riding on pavement, then a simple change of tires would be of considerable benefit.
Not that you can't ride a mountain bike on the road, thousands do so all the time.  It's just that those knobby tires will squirm and wear rapidly, and the riding position is not the best for long stretches on the road.


Very unlikely a 50cm (small?) bike will fit you. I'm about the same height and fit a 54/medium in most road bike models.
Some people about the same height with short legs fit a 52cm frame with a long stem fitted.
The manufacturer of the bike you are looking at should have a sizing guide that takes height and inseam measurements into account.
Don't compromise on bike size, get the bike you want that fits you. A frame that is much too small will be a  pain to ride.


It is possible, as long as you use the SRAM Red Black Edition 2011 or earlier.

The new 2012 Exogram SRAM Red requires a different front derailleur design, and while it will physically bolt up, it won't shift well at all.

Any other SRAM compact (110 BCD) chain ring will work fine.


I have the Timbuk2 Especial Viaje convertible backpack/pannier which I use to commute with my work laptop, a MBP 15" Retina. It uses the same rack-attachment hardware as the current edition of the Timbuk2 Shift. That hardware has broken 4 times in my ~8 months of owning the bag. Timbuk2 has been good about sending replacement hardware, but it's still not fun to have to maintain the bag that much, especially considering Timbuk2 sells their bags as being very durable. They're now offering me store credit to get a new bag, but they don't have any equivalent bag currently available, and won't until 2015, so I'll take them up in fall after the hot, sweaty summer is over.

I wonder if they only tested the all-plastic hardware in SF's very mild climate, as opposed to somewhere with seasons— perhaps using the bag through the winter weakened the plastic?

I also had a previous edition of the Timbuk2 Shift, which had even worse pannier hardware with 2 hooks held in by tiny little pins as its only points of support. When one of the hooks fell off because its tiny pin slipped out, I was very lucky the bungee the bag had didn't get caught in my rear wheel and cause a crash, which would have been especially bad in lower Manhattan traffic.

So, I guess my answer is: I suggest the Ortlieb as they're a lot more experienced with manufacturing/sourcing durable pannier hardware. Or maybe look into the Arkel as well: http://www.arkel-od.com/us/messenger-pannier-laptop-bag.html

If you do want the Shift, REI has it:
http://www.rei.com/product/847594/timbuk2-shift-pannier-single
And it's nice to be able to take advantage of their return policy, if you need it as I did.


It can be fixed. I can't guess how much your local bike shop will charge but any good shop should give you an estimate plus or minus 10% of what they will charge so you will know what to expect.

Here is an article at Park Tool explaining how to align a frame. It is possible to align a frame at home and get it kind of close even without shop tools if you have some skill. Some have used a string to measure alignment instead of the shop tool.

Once it is fixed it should be safe to ride assuming the rest of the bike is safe (see my note below).
From Sheldon Brown

  A steel frame can be straightened (within limits) if bent, and still remain safe and strong.

NOTE: I am saying that a steel frame that has been straightened is safe to ride assuming the rest of the bike is safe.
Since I can't assess the over-all condition of your bike I'm not saying that your bike is safe. Your local bike shop can make this assessment and would be able to speak to the over-all safety of your bike.


When you buy a complete bicycle, you just need to check two things: fitting and components.

Did you test the 2 bikes in the size you are discussing? The Bianchi should have a better frame, but nothing that can counterbalance the fact that a 50cm frame is too big.

Regarding "If I go for a 50cm frame I need to cut 2cm in the seatpost (seatpin)" I would go as far as to say that you are voiding warranty and therefore it does not make sense to do so on a new bike. In my opinion, neither on a used one.


Check that your disc is not warped. Is the disc rubbing the left inboard and outboard pad at different points of the wheel's revolution? If yes, you likely have a warped rotor. Look straight down through the caliper with a bright light and a sheet of white paper held behind it to see when the rotor is hitting the pads.

Is the gap between the pads just tight? The pistons may be extended from the caliper a little. Remove the pads and try pushing the pistons fully back into the caliper.

FYI be aware of advice in this answer about adjusting HYRD calipers.


Do both SH51 and SH56 cleats work with all SPD-compatible pedals?

Yes, all SPD pedals are compatible with both of these cleats. The multi-directional release SH-56 will allow you to pull out of the pedal vertically if it is required. They are designed for spin bikes. (Exercise use.)

The difference is a preference only, because it depends what you intend to use them for. I will not use the SH-56 on the road because I have pulled out of the pedal during normal riding, and offroad has similar issues.


Yaktrax and simila all increase the risk of a tangle. However, one must test with your specific shoes, cleats and pedals to see how high the risk of entanglement is. That risk must then be evaluated against the risk of slipping when dismounted.

Another alternative is to use studded shoes. They are harder to use together with toe clips than normal shoes because you can not slide your shoe on the pedal. The risk of entanglement, however, should be pretty nonexistent.

Instead of buying studded shoes you could also buy threaded studs such as these from Bestgrip and screw them into your normal cycling shoes.


Adjusting Tiagra Front Derailleur FD-4700

Is it essential that I align the outer of the derailleur cage with the largest chainring before proceeding?

Yes!

  Is there any chance I could avoid adjusting the limit screws?

Absolutely not! Unless you like having the chain fall off the rings. Having the chain come off between the crank and frame is at best a pain and at worst damages the frame.

When you swapped in the new crank the derailleur adjustment should not have been too far off. It sounds like you just needed to adjust limits and indexing, but the height and angle were OK. What I would have done at this point was followed the Park Tool video, checking hight and angle, then setting high and low limits and indexing according to their procedure (referring to the Shimano manual for specifics for adjustments). You might have been able to do this without detaching the cable.

If you have detached the cable, or adjusted the position of the derailleur on the frame just work through the procedure from the start. I've done well with the Park Tool guide, the Arts Cyclery video seems a bit more specific to Shimano. Front derailleur adjustment is tricky, it's certainly harder to do than rear derailleur adjustment. Don't skip steps, that will just cause worse problems later.

BTW, I'm gratified that you followed my advice about upgrading the crankset :-)


Can anyone tell me the year of this Kona road bike?

It looks like a 2003 Kona Kona to me.  Kona made the Kona until 2005 and then in 2006 they started the Zing line.  It's a very standard entry level "bike shop" road bike.  Assuming a lot of parts swap hasn't happened, that page should have most of the info.


How can I troubleshoot battery issues on an electric bike?

Its likely a mismatch between the computer and battery pack. 33.8V is not a common voltage for E-Bike Lithium. 36V is more typical. The nominal voltage of the battery is probably 36V based on the model number.  It is possible a cell in the battery pack has failed,but form the specs you have given I don't think this is likely.

Batteries are made from cells - lithium batteries are nominally 3.6 or 3.7V/Cell. A 36V battery will have 10 cells, at full charge voltage will be around 41-42V and fully discharged around 32V (the last 10% causes the bulk of the volatge drop).  A nominal 33.8V battery will have 9 cells, with a full charge voltage of around 37-38V and a full discharged voltage under 30V.

If the computer is using battery voltage to determine State of charge, it will think your battery is flat when it is charged.

To confirm this diagnosis, you will need to find out the number of cells in the battery, and the details of the bike computer.  Also form fully charged (ignoring the bike computer) haw far can you ride before the engine cuts out?  If you going a reasonable distance, close to expected, then its just  mismatch. If you going a short distance, then either the battery if faulty or there is a mismatch and the computer thinks the battery is flat so shuts down the motor.


What does 'tubeless ready' wheelset actually mean

In the context of a new bike spec list or marketing copy, it's most commonly understood to mean a wheelset and tires that are both tubeless-compatible, plus the rims already have tubeless tape. It's ready for tubeless in the sense that all you have to do is unseat one bead, remove the tube, add a tubeless valve, add sealant, re-seat the one bead, slosh the sealant around, and go. Manufacturers have gotten pretty good in recent years at making this actually work as planned, i.e. the factory tape job is good. That's not an absolute given though; it's always a good idea to look at it and make sure the tape application and coverage are something you want to commit to.

What's a little inconsistent with the term still in my experience is whether the bike comes with valves in its goody bag. Some do, particularly if it's got a named prefab wheelset, but a lot don't, so if you for example want to make sure you're ordering everything you need to tubeless it right away, get valves too unless it says it includes them.

If the term is being used for a wheelset, I would take that to mean it comes with tubeless tape. For a tire, it just means it's a tubeless compatible tire. (If you look around and read old things you might see some reference to "tubeless ready" meaning a tire with conventional non-sealing sidewalls, as opposed to UST tires with their extra sealing layer for use without sealant, but nobody really cares about distinction anymore.)


Can I fit a RaceFace crankset with a SRAM bottom bracket (and how do I know)?

There is no information I can find on the Chain Reaction Cycle page that indicates what bottom bracket standard the crank requires. Seems the crank was originally sold with a Race Face bottom bracket and that bottom bracket was heavily implied (through the product images) to fit an ISO/BSA threaded frame of either 68 or 73mm shell width.
I checked the Race Face website and cannot find a product that is obviously the same. At least a few of their cheaper cranks are specified as having a 24mm axle. That definitely will not fit in a SRAM GXP bottom bracket as those are 24mm on the drive side, 22mm on the non drive side.
If you definitely want this crank to fit, buy a Race Face BSA bottom bracket as well, that will fit your frame and the crank will fit the bottom bracket.
It looks like the the Race Face BSA bottom bracket is the same dimensions as a Shimano HollowTech II bottom bracket, so you could try one of those, but I cannot absolutely guarantee it will work (there may be some variation in total width).


Surly Pugsley bottom bracket replacement

Surly O.D cranks have a standard (for threaded external BB bearings) 24mm spindle diameter, and the outboard bearing units seem to be standard width (unlike the extra wide Surly Moonlander specific variant. I think you are safe with a non Surly 100mm BB.


One problem is that the design would not be appropriate for technical riding requiring speed.  Getting behind the seat to push against the pedals would put you out over nothing, instead of out over the back wheel.  The design would be less stable because of that and consequently unsuitable for technical riding. The puts it out for mountain styles of riding.

On the road side, the UCI has been fairly quick to ban anything as non-traditional as this.  While materials improvements and the like are generally the norm, major changes to the geometry of a bike is combed over closely and often thrown out.

New designs take sometime to take hold (Fat bikes are a good example from recent years).  The fat bike market lingered for years because very few companies were producing the tyres, bottom brackets, cranksets, hubs and rims it needed to grow.  Although most of the other parts were standard road and mountain bike parts, key components can be a hold back.  Once these bikes started getting raced regularly, the market and manufacture of the specialty parts took off.

For the design you are talking about, I don't see enough appreciable advantages for the commuter market to champion it.  Since it's not appropriate for the other markets, I can't  see such a radially departing design gaining any traction.


My answer to this was old school. I put on tire savers. This won't work with knobbies, but it will work great with street tires. Back in the day, I tried a bunch of things including puncture resistant and kevlar. I have both sew-ups and street tires and it stops the nagging flats from small things that don't puncture on the first pass.

This will give you a picture of them.


I'm looking for a part that connects the saddle to the body frame of the bicycle

Its a bit unclear what you did or what the problem is. I presume you are having problems reinserting the seat post into the frame. From the above diagram, the seat post slots into the seat tube, and is held in place by the seat post clamp (not labeled).

I also presume hex bolt 'threaded' means you cannot undo the bolt in the seat post clamp. This clamp has to come off to insert the seat post.  My first attempt would be to try to knock it off with a hammer and screw driver by tapping gently around the circumference and 'walking' it up the seat tube. A bit of heat might help. However if the bolt is tight I would not bother.

If that does not work you should be able to cut the bolt with a hack saw blade in the slot, and remove the clamp. An alternate is to drill the bolt head off or cut the clamp itself. New clamps are readily available so do not worry if you damage it.

Once the clamp is off, the seat post should slide fairly easily into the frame, set the height and tighten the new clamp (not too much).


GPX files are XML files, which means you can edit them in a text editor. I use Notepad++ on Windows and TextWrangler on OSX, but you should be able to use the built-in Notepad or TextEdit. Don't use a word processor like Word or OpenOffice.

Open the second GPX file in a text editor. Copy all the stuff between <trk> and </trk> inclusive.
Open the first GPX file in a text editor. Paste the copied stuff after the </trk> line near the end of the first file and save.
If you have more files, repeat.


The shoes and pedals that are appropriate for road cycling are the ones you feel comfortable using.

Almost all MTB shoes come with a "plug" over the screw-hole recess that you could just leave in place. Make sure that's the case with any pair she has her eye on, if she decides to go that route. These probably won't be ideal, as they're still designed to work with cleats, so there won't be a natural interface surface. Many MTB shoes are identical to road shoes except for the cleat attachments and the greebling on the sole.

If she wants to stick with flat pedals and no toeclips, look at downhiller pedals, which typically have a big open platform with studs for grip. If she is open to toeclips, there are platform pedals meant to be used with toeclips (mostly targeting commuters), so you get good support for flat shoes.

There are shoes meant to be used with DH pedals, that pretty much look like standard sneakers with flat soles. This will fail the "sleek" test.

AFAIK, there aren't a lot of straight-up road shoes not designed to be worn with cleats. They'll have hard, slick soles that will be a downright hazard on flat pedals. You might have some luck searching for bike touring shoes. That's a category of shoe we don't see much of anymore, but when they were popular, they had road-shoe styling with flat soles. There are still some throwbacks to that style if you look for them.


Compatibility of Shimano Ultegra and Sora components

Most groupset parts don't wear out on a predictable replacement schedule. Derailleurs, brakes, cranks, and brifters should last for a long time, barring unusual wear or crashes. And I hate to say it, but if you do get to the point where you want to replace those parts, it might be cheaper to buy a new bike.
Modern Sora and Ultegra chainrings are 4-bolt, and are completely incompatible with your 5-bolt Ultegra cranks. You could replace the entire chainset (aka crankset), but a modern Sora chainset will be incompatible with your bottom bracket (your Ultegra chainset uses a separate BB; the Sora and other higher-end Shimano chainsets today integrate the spindle into the left crankarm), so that would need to be replaced too. You might be better off looking for NOS Ultegra rings.
Sora-grade chains are lower quality (less precise spacing between rivets), which will wear out the cassette and chainrings more quickly.
The Sora cassette will work.


A warped frame will not cause wobble when the wheel is moved by hand.  A warped frame can cause wobble when riding at speeds since the wheel is not straight.  However, if the wheel has play (moves side to side without rotating) in the frame, then the hub is not properly adjusted or is damaged.

The noise issues could be from any number places and should probably be looked at as well.

You are correct in the lesson, but perhaps not in the reasoning.  Buying from a LBS should ensure you are purchasing a properly assembled and adjusted bicycle.  Hub adjustments (like the issue you are describing) are one of the many build steps a good shop will perform when assembling a new bicycle.  It's part of why you are paying a higher price at your LBS instead of an internet warehouse with no overhead.


Is my new-to-me used suspension fork a MY2000 Manitou Mars Elite Hyperlite?

Hayes tech support recently returned my call on this, and although they don't have access to serial number records that far back, they did confirm that the 11-00 manufacturing date stamped in the arch almost certainly means it's MY 2001. They also sent me the tech manual -- I was impressed with Hayes' helpfulness!


Do I need a spacer between my cassette and freehub?

My guess is that the spacer is for fitting 7 speed cassettes (which are narrower than 8-10 speed cassettes).

Try installing the cassette without the spacer, if you can tighten the lock ring up and it isn't bottoming out on the freehub, I think you are good.


What could cause an inflated tire to be "untrue" on a true rim

Three posibilities:

The tire is defective (least likely).
The tire is simply not settling onto the rim properly.
You managed to twist/pinch the tube while installing.

If you twisted/pinched the tube then there will be low spots, where the tire does not seem to inflate fully.  If you suspect this, of course, remove and reinstall the tube.

If you're convinced the tube is not twisted, slowly inflate the tire while you inspect the junction between tire and rim, all around on both sides.  (There is generally a rib on the tire sidewall positioned such that it will be about 1/8" from the rim edge all around when the tire is perfectly centered.)  With your hands, "work" the tire one direction or the other to keep this distance equal all around as you slowly inflate.

Sometimes tires are hard to get seated properly when new (because, eg, they were hanging on a hook in the shop for months), but quickly "take a set" and are no trouble if you have to dismount/remount the tire later.

I'll add that sometimes the problem is that the thickened portion of the tube near the valve has gotten caught between the tire bead and the rim.  This will prevent the tire bead from seating on the rim hook properly in the vicinity of the valve.  The solution is to completely deflate the tube, then press the valve most of the way in with your finger while you manipulate the tire in the area of the tube.  This should cause the "captured" part of the tube to work loose.


How are these trikes able to spin around backwards?

They're back pedaling as they go, this lets the drive train move backwards.

You'll often see BMXers doing the same, you see more in the first part of this video.


Nerve pain and "handedness"—is it common for your dominant hand to be more susceptible to nerve problems?

I don't know of a scientific study directly answering this question.  In leu of empirical (and verifiable) information, I provide an theory based on anacdotal experience.

You generally use your dominant hand more off the bike than the non-dominant hand. If in your work or other activities you have poor posture or poor ergonomics your dominant hand may already have higher fatigue or irritation relative to your non-dominant hand.  This effect would be subclinical (i.e., either you don't quite notice, or its low enough you don't seek help).  Now expose both hands equally to a sustained level of irritation (e.g., poor bike fit) and the dominant hand will be the first to become "clinical."

Side Note

It could be worth looking on how you rest your hands on the bar (e.g., see Pain in center of hand).  I think many modern road bars have poor ergonomics for slower endurance riding, where you may be placing more weight on your hands. Also many riders have their bikes set up with the bars too low  for the majority of riding they do. This will put more weight on their hands and will quickly expose ergonomic issues. Personally, I find slammed positions fine if you are cranking out large wattage all the time (i.e., 250+ sustained), but it can cause problems for long rides at more moderate output (i.e., <200 watts sustained)


Shimano hydraulic disc brake lever and caliper compatibility

Ok, I upgraded and I might as well provide an answer for my question, in case anyone else is interested.

The bike is now sporting a BR M775 rear caliper, a BL T8000 brake lever (XT three finger model) and a BH90 narrow bore hose and everything works perfectly.
Putting the bits together was completely straight forward.


English vs Italian bottom bracket - chainline considerations

As you have mentioned, the point of having a variety of spindle lengths is to allow selection of a BB which creates the proper chain line, while ensuring proper clearance from your frame. (Typically 51 mm from BB center to the center of the chain ring set.

The assumption that using the Italian BB mandates a wider BB spindle is not correct.  You should have no issue using a 70 mm x 113 mm Italian BB.

That said, you are unlikely to notice any difference in shifting performance from a 1 mm difference in chain line, unless your original BB was already significantly offset (incorrect).  It's just not enough difference to matter.  So if you already have the 70 x 115, use it.  You'll be fine.  If you still need to buy the BB, order a 70 x 113.

To directly answer what I think is your main question, There is no reason for the spindle length to change, except the convenience of using parts which are already on hand.

I hope that helps.


Modifying Bikes 101 - Help (1988 Bridgestone City Limit CB-2)

Bike parts are relatively swappable -- there are standards for wheel sizes (This uses a regular old 26" (ISO 559) wheels), frame spacings, etc.

This frame has vertical dropouts, so using a hub gear is not easy -- you'd need to use a chain tensioner to use it (in some cases, you can find a perfect front and rear combination to avoid this). You'd also have to respace the rear triangle to accomodate a modern hub (which can be done with a plank of wood, carefully).

Also, swapping out parts can quickly get expensive. It's a cute bike to begin with, so I'd leave it mostly stock and make sure things are working well (e.g. good brakes, etc.).


Replace gear shifter with one with gear number display

There are two things that you need to check to be sure that the shifter will work. The shifter needs to have the same number of gears as your bike. If you have 7 gears on the back, then don't go buying a 10-speed shifter. The second thing is that the pull-ratio of the shifter has to match the derailleur. This is why not all shifters with the same number of gears are interchangeable. This information can be found online or you can update your question with details of the derailleur on your bike and the shifter that you're looking at.


How do airlines calculate the cost of a Brompton?

This is a hard question to answer. Not only does each airline  have its own rules as to handle bicycles or what they consider oversized luggage — the airline counter staff at check-in have “discretion” which usually boils down to a degree of capriciousness. The checkin counter staff may or may not follow their own airline’s posted guidelines in terms of overweight, size, contents, or how much they charge. Usually this discretion is in your favor (ie they will waive the charge or lower it) but not always, especially if you come in with an attitude. In other words, there’s no consistency in what you’ll be charged unless you are obviously under weight, under size, and have non-surchargable contents.

That all being said, it’s still helpful to know the rules ahead of checking in so you know how much they charge for overweight and oversized luggage, versus how much they charge for a bicycle.

A bare brompton in a light bag (like the b-bag) will usually be underweight and just under the nominal size. Many hard cases will push it to oversize and some will push it overweight.

However, if you know the bicycle charge versus the overweight or oversize charge, you can go in with the following algorithm:

Approach counter and attempt to check in bicycle without any specific declaration. If the checkin clerk allows it without comment or extra charge, success!
If clerk attempts to assess oversize fee and it’s in excess of the bicycle fee, then state it’s a bicycle and get the lower bicycle fee.
If clerk asks what’s inside, ask first how much the oversize / weight fee is. If it is less than the bicycle fee, then declare the bike as “circus equipment” or “spare parts for a mobility device” (many places calling it “sports equipment” carries a special fee too) and pay the lower fee.

Note that I’ve found the brompton in a bag is very close to the 64 linear inches and with case can be close to the overweight limit. In those cases, it’s helpful to remove the saddle and pedals and put them in your other luggage. This will reduce both the weight and the overall dimensions as well as making it harder to break. You also want to remove all of the hinge locking bolts as those tend to snap.


What difference does the range of gear size matter?

Its not about higher and lower end bikes, its about the nature of the bikes and the purposes they are used for and probably some history and snobbery too (-:

You can pay a truly staggering amount of money for a mountain bike (or a tourer or a recumbent) with a triple chainset and equally you can get something that bears a passing resemblance to a road racing bike with a double chainset for a relatively small amount of money (though its a bit harder than finding something cheap that resembles a mountain bike).

You can't ignore weight either - because the bikes with doubles on tend to be road racing bikes and for those weight is significant - as is complexity, removing a front ring (only having two) reduces the chances of you being in the wrong gear or having to make an overly complicated change at a critical moment - however it reduces the range of gears and, if you've watch pro cyclists struggling with genuinely steep hills (e.g. in the UK) you'll know that this can be an issue - although seldom in the Tour de France where the hills are long rather than particularly steep.

Look at city bikes and - assuming they use a derailleur - you'll sometimes see a single chainring at the front and again possibly on a bike that costs more than you might expect.

I've not answered the question so...

The gear range for a bike is substantially dictated by the lowest gear - you start with what you need to deal with the ascents you will be tackling (based on your personal abilities and other factors) and then cover a range dictated by your gearing 'til you get to a top gear. You hope that you end up with something that allows you to complete the climbs whilst not spinning out (getting to the point where you can't pedal fast enough) too early on the descents or whilst on the level. Ideally you'd like the ratios available between the two ends to be reasonably evenly spaced and easily selectable.

Mountain bikes tackle more extreme slopes so need lower gears - hence want triples. Touring bikes tackle the slopes with more weight, so need lower gears - hence want triples. On a recumbent you want to spin up hills in a low gear but are even more keen on being able to turn a high gear - hence want triples (and sometimes more to extend the gear range). On a "road" bike you're assumed to be fitter and stronger and to pedal with a higher cadence - you also want less weight so you give up on the extra chainring.


Who's the manufacturer and what year was this tandem bike manufactured?

It's a Schwinn Twinn. The serial number will be located on one of the rear dropouts, if it's not on either side of the head tube. There are a couple websites that will help you determine the date of manufacture. Judging from the type of tires fitted to the rim, and the shape of the rim, I surmise that the bike has had both wheels replaced at some point, as the bike no longer has S-7 rims and tires, which would have been stock on a Schwinn.


Resources for finding dirt roads for planning gravel grinding rides

Good quality road maps will differentiate between paved and unpaved roads. I really like my Gazetteer State Maps


My brakes rotate around after I tighten them and other v-brake questions

Either spacer arrangement is acceptable, and the choice is part of correctly installing the new pads. But I'm not clear exactly what pads you have, as there are two types: one with posts that poke out and bolts at right angles that clamp onto them (older style) and pads with threaded bolts built in that attach directly to the V brake arms.

Typical V brakes should have the arms vertical when the pads contact the rim. The specific requirement is that the pad surfaces are parallel to the rim at that point, and as they wear they will become that way. Those semi-spherical spacers and washers allow you to rotate the pads to achieve that, so you have some tolerance there. That also lets you toe in the pads, BTW.

It's better to have the arms slightly out past vertical with new pads because as they wear the arms will move in. But that should be by a small amount - a couple of millimetres at the adjustment point marked L in the diagram below.

The flat washers shouldn't need to be against the brake pad, normally they're used under the nut to help isolate rotation of the nut from rotation of the pad (so you don't move the pad out of alignment when you're doing up the nut).

 (image from Saccom)


What do you do to cure road rash more quickly after a crash?

Wow! That looks like a horrid crash.

There are some newer ideas on road rash healing. My doctor recommended that I NOT use Neosporin type ointments. The reason being that it only has an affect on the superficial layers of the wound and that infection, if it occurs, will be in the deeper layers; and also that topicals are shown to interfere with wound healing. He also told me not to use hydrogen peroxide as it damages tissue. The keys to healing and preventing scarring are to keep the wounds clean and moist.

The advice I got from my physician (who is a cyclist) is pretty much the same as the advice here on freewheel.com.

According to the article and my doc:

After a proper cleaning it's recommended to apply an application of a hydrocolloid or semiocclusive hydrogel dressing.

"A moist healing environment is provided by the dressing... Two basic options fulfill this requirement."

Semipermeable film dressings, such as Bioclusive (Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New Jersey) andTegaderm (3M Company, St Paul), in combination with semiocclusive hydrogels such as Spenco 2nd Skin (Spenco Medical Corp, Waco, Texas). These dressings are impermeable to water and bacteria but allow the exudate to evaporate."

Hydrocolloidal dressings. Examples of hydrocolloidal dressings are Duoderm (ConvaTec, SkiUman, New Jersey) and Cutinova hydro (Beiersdorf, Inc, Norwalk, Connecticut).


Are there any cyclocross/road bike rims that I could buy that will fit on my Cannondale F600 mountain bike?

Do you mean rims or wheels?

Many cyclists have a second set of wheels for their bike, because it's a lot cheaper than having a second bike. Buying a set of 26" disk brake wheels with narrow rims and putting slicks on them is a pretty common thing for MTB owners who commute on their bike. You might also choose a slightly higher-geared cassette for the road wheels. You will need a second cassette on the new wheel, and a second pair of disk rotors. Two complete wheels, in other words.

If you are talking about rebuilding your wheels with narrower rims that's expensive and I think pointless - it will not be much cheaper than getting a second set of wheels, and will limit your choice of offroad tyres. You can mount fairly narrow tyres on most MTB rims, especially on newer bikes as there's been a fair bit of work on making fat tyres work on narrow rims, so racing cyclists can have narrower rims (because they're lighter).

The cheapest option is to just buy skinny tyres, but that means swapping tyres every time you want to go off road. Which is why many riders buy extra wheels. Another cheap way is to get a second hand road bike (but be aware that that is a slippery slope and many of us have more than two bikes)


The BCD shouldn't make any difference to how the cranks work, just which chainrings you use. As long as the BB matches the cranks go ahead.


Why do new road bikes come with handlebar tape attached?

The question was thouroughly answered in the comments. I shall try to summarise the points given.

@rclocher mentioned that handlebar tape today can be removed easily without much residue. Thus making replacing bars and tape simple. This is contrary to my assumption which was based on limited and outdated experience. The tape is inexpensive for dealers and manufacturers (mentioned by @mattnz)
In my question I overestimated the use to cyclists of having bars that differ from the original (@mattnz). The assumption that customers or dealers are willing to replace handlebars seems also unfounded (@mattnz, @batman)
A typical fitting session typically includes only saddle height and position, stem spacers, and adjustable stems (@batman). More effort on this would erode the dealers profit margins and the patience of 80% of the customers (@mattnz). This is disputed since the typically high value of bikes and possibility to further service the customer is an incentive for the dealer to invest in good fitting (@andy256).
A bike without tape would be uncomfortable to test ride (@batman) and would look bad in the showroom (@Criggie). It cannot be compared to bikes without pedals, since attaching pedals is done in a moment, taping however takes time (@batman).

In case I misrepresented someones comment or overlooked it all together, please be so kind to mention it in a comment on this answer. I do have a few questions on some of these point, which I shall also post below.

Than you very much for the very interesting comments, they were informational beyond the initial, somewhat trivial, question.


My santa cruz heckler ghost shifts from frame flex. Is there anything I can do?

Given that the cassette is tied to the axle, if the alignment is changing, you have a few possible causes:

Freewheel is worn out and has a significant wobble
The pivot where the chainstay and frame connect is worn and loose
Axle itself is loose, either through the hub, or at the dropouts

When applying pressure to the pedal with the brake on, it will naturally pull the alignment of the axle so that drive side is further forward than the non-drive side.  You also mentioned that the whole wheel moves, so I would lean towards a pivot or axle problem.


Why would higher fork contribute significantly to breaking the frame?

how does a higher fork contribute to higher stress in the frame?

By creating a longer lever, and stretching the end of that lever to a greater angle, it transmits more force to the bottom of the head tube (the part of the frame where the steer tube passes through). This can cause damage to the head tube itself or where it joins both the down tube and top tube. How does this happen? That longer lever is essentially trying to pry the head tube off of that joint.

  What is the effect of lower fork than the original?

A fork with less travel (or similar travel but a shorter overall length) will steepen the head angle which will make your steering a bit quicker and more responsive. Now, this does reduce the force applied to the lower part of the head tube, but due to the change in angle, increases the force applied to the upper part.

  Does bike A, being sold with higher fork than bike B, mean that A's frame is stronger? Or is it just different geometry?

Simply: no. Frames are like any other product where the visual inspection does not guarantee that the assumption is true. For instance, most tapered head tubes with fork travel X are probably stronger than a straight head tube with the same fork travel. The purpose of the bike will also determine a relative frame strength. A dirt jump bike with a 100mm fork will handle way more stress than a XC frame with 100mm fork. The trade off is usually flex, weight, or another metric.


Front derailleur won't change to low gear

Set the shifter to low.

With the shifter at low and the derailleur stuck at high, the cable should feel slack. If it still feels tight, the cable may be jammed or corroded, so replace the cable, or find whatever's crushing the outer cable (if the outer has been crushed you may need to replace it too).

On the body of your front derailleur you should find two limit screws, labelled "H" and "L". If the tip of the "L" screw is making contact, unscrew it (anti-clockwise) to allow the mech to move towards the low position. If the mech doesn't move and you get space at the tip of the screw, one of the mech's pivots is seized.


Some general advice:

The bend/wobble is likely nothing to worry about and you can search this site or Google for how to true a wheel. If there's less than 1mm of un-true-ness, I wouldn't even worry about truing it.

A new wheelset will likely cost more than the bike, and since it sounds like you have a perfectly good one on the bike already it's hard to recommend doing. That said, if you want colored rims and tires, you're likely going to have to perform a 700c conversion to take a modern wheel since hooligan colored stuff wasn't reasonably common on road bikes in the pre-1980s as far as I can tell (and 700c became popular after that). The 700c conversion essentially requires the ability to move the brakes down about 4 mm and spreading the frame (cold setting it) to fit a modern hub. Then you can buy some (generally low quality) 700c wheels which are colored to your liking, along with tires provided they clear your frame (you're going to have to measure it).

As for handlebars, note that changing the handlebars may change your fit. Make sure the bar has the right diameter for the levers to clamp to as well as your stem.

There are a lot of fenders on the market, so go find something you like - make sure you have the eyelets or mounting method for the fenders you choose.


What to upgrade to achieve a higher top speed?

Bigger tires, bigger chainrings and a smaller cassette all lead to a higher gearing (the crank arm lengths among other things also come into this, but that encapsulates into bike fit).

Bigger tires are subject to frame clearance and feeling squirmy possibly.

Bigger chain rings require front derailleur compatibility.

Smaller cassette also requires appropriate derailleur capacities.

Other ways of getting more speed include improving your aerodynamics (part of your bike fit - if you have drops for example, you may not be using them effectively) and increasing your cadence (most of the time when people ask this, their cadence is too low and they should be riding in a lower gear or pedaling faster). Losing weight (bike and yourself) does help as well, to some extent. If you're spinning out on say a steep downhill incline, that's normal (chances are you shouldn't be going faster than that anyway).

You may find that the type of bike you're riding is not a good fit for your riding style, i.e. you're using a mountain bike for road riding. Switching the type of bike (which does include corresponding gear and position changes) can help as well.


Which parts should I pick for the ideal reasonable road bike?

The chainrings on this crankset must be made of untempered 6061 aluminum. 7075T6 or T651 is the work of the devil.

This may sound a good idea at first -- it is clear that untempered aluminum is far better material for chainrings than for example bad-tempered aluminum. So a good starting point for an entry-level reasonable road bike.
However, you will obtain an order of magnitude better lifetime from well-tempered aluminum. So if you are looking for a truly ideal reasonable road bike, I recommend selecting well-tempered aluminum for the material.


This is a cottered crank. The chainrings are fixed to the crank and can not be moved to another, but you can replace the entire bottom bracket (combination of axle and bearings) and crankset. There should be no need to replace the front derailleur.

There is a risk that the bottom bracket shell is threade for an obsolete standard. To make any guesses if that is the case, we'd need to know the brand of the bike and width of the bottom bracket shell part of frame without any parts that are screwed in.


That derailleur appears to be rotated so that the "tail" of the derailleur plate is too far from the frame.

The ideal is to have the inside plate be parallel to the chain rings, and have the bottom edge of the outer derailleur plate be between 1 and 2 mm above the top edge of the large chain ring teeth, while there is no cable attached, or it is shifted to the smallest front sprocket.

The image below is Park Tool's description of proper alignment.


Edit: from your photos, yes, the chain is too long. In the large chainring-large cog photo it looks as though the derailleur arm could be pulled forward at least one chain link, possibly two.

My preferred method of finding chain length is to focus on the largest chainring-largest cog combination. If there's just barely enough chain for that everything will work, although the small-small combo may have a lot of slack. Park have an exhaustive explanation of various methods.

Too much chain is kind of annoying, but too little can break things. Trying to shift into the large-large gear when there's not enough chain will stop your pedals, so there's a lot of force involved. Since you're going into a lower gear at that point, it often happens when you're pedalling hard. Hard enough to snap the chain in some cases. But also to snap the rear derailleur if it can't accomodate the position required, and if you're especially unlucky you might snap off the derailleur hanger as well. This breakage often throws the derailleur into your rear wheel which both breaks spokes and can dump you on the ground.

What I suggest is shifting into the large-large combo and see if there is spare chain. Try pulling a link over itself so there's a wee Z formed in the chain. If you can do that there are extra links. Keep extending the Z until the rear derailleur seems unhappy, counting links. Now remove them. Remember you do need a little slack so you can get out of the gear - you're using the return spring in the rear derailleur to pull the chain off the biggest cog, and if there's too much chain tension it won't be able to do that. But as long as you can get into the gear you won't break anything (you just need to add a link back in, and maybe pull the wheel out to release the tension).

This ties into the "some gears man was not meant to use" discussion. In cross-over gears are the large-large and small-small ones, so called because the chain crosses over from one side of the crankset to the opposite side of the cassette. This causes extra friction and chain wear, and (almost always) those gears are duplicated elsewhere so there's no need to use them. So not being able to use the small-small combo because of slack chain should not normally be a problem.


Merino is an anytime material . It’s core property is that the fibres are very fine and structurally more complex compared to a more general wool product.
You can wear it on a hot day to feel cooler as the fibres will absorb sweat and keep it next to your skin or on a cool day to keep you warmer as it’s very insulating due to a hollowness in the fibre.
It doesn’t gain as much of a body stench compared to an artificial fibre and can be worn multiple days in a row without being too offensive to you or other people.
When a 100% Merino shirt has worn out you can dump it in the compost or use it to line a plant pot.
You’re right in that people use it as a base layer as it works well next to the skin and on hot days you will get more UV protection.
It is more expensive compared to other materials but the benefits are high for the investment cost. I haven’t worn anything else for cycling or any outdoor exercise for a long time.


Is cycling behind a truck a bad practice?

It is really dangerous to follow a large vehicle closely. It is possible behind a directeur sportif in a passenger car which is smaller: you can see through it, and the driver is a cyclist who knows you and knows about you.
You cannot see what is coming in front of the truck. If they choose to brake hard, watching the brake lights will be of no use; you have simply no chance to brake so fast as many cars can (the truck can be unloaded or transporting light goods). You do not see what kind of obstacles or potholes are coming, how the truck will avoid them, and so on.

Note that I was assuming a road bike without any front suspension fork.
Ride On says "Cars will generally stop faster than bikes due to their more efficient brakes and lower centre of gravity," and they indicate a bicycle stopping distance of 31.5 m from 40 km/h. However, take into account that this is from a prepared rider who knew he had to slam the brakes, not just noticing a brake light. A passenger car will stop at something like 26 m.
Even for motorbikes it is dangerous, and the stopping distance can vary with the experience of the rider by a factor of 2. [1, 2]
And of course, even a car tailgating another car will often crash into the preceding one. The two-second distance is often required by law. That is 22 m at 40 km/h and 28 m at 50 km/h. That is not compatible with drafting behind the vehicle in many, if not most, traffic rules.


Changing to rigid fork on C-dale Killer V 900 w 1.5

Yes, you can use a 1 1/8" fork with a 1 1/2" frame. I did it on one of my bikes. You just have to get a special "reducer" headset. It doesn't look goofy at all - you can't even tell unless you look closely.

You'll have to get a threadless fork. Nobody makes reducer headsets for threaded forks.

Most new forks come with an un-cut steering tube - that means it's a few inches longer than most people need, and you have to cut it to the right length.

Make sure that the crown-to-axle distance is approximately the same as your old fork. If not, it'll change the bike's handling characteristics, maybe drastically.


Why does my bike make too much sound if I am in the top 3 gears in the back and large gear in the front?

If you think your chain is rubbing on the front derailleur I think it's safe to say that the noise is coming from the drivetrain.

Front derailleur rub tends to occur when the chain is at the most inboard or outboard positions, either small chaining / largest sprocket or large chaining / smallest sprocket. I would not expect to get rub on the 2 or more of the smallest sprockets, unless the derailleur rub is very bad.

In any case, the first thing to do is to check the front and rear derailleur adjustment. (You may be getting some noise from bad rear indexing.)

Detailed written instructions would be far too long and difficult to follow, but there are many instruction article and videos available on the Web. The best by far I have found are those from Park Tool.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment

Run through those adjustment procedures and see if that fixes the problem.


Annoying clicking sound from the bottom bracket

Is it happening only when you pedal backwards or forwards too?

I note you have a small spoke guard on the back wheel.  Take a close look at that.  It might be cracked and when you back pedal the freewheel teeth might be catching on it.  It seems way to loud and plastic like to be a crank issue but then again I'm not there.  All my crank issues have had a much more solid clunk sound and were not nearly as loud.


Can missing cage mount screws cause the frame to rust?

It is possible for water or sweat to enter the frame, and for corrosion to build up. Any rust would be most likely to happen on the steel bolt (which is missing) rather than on the aluminum frame, but oxidization comes in many forms.

While this is unlikely to cause you any significant issues, it's an easy fix. Any M4 threaded allen bolt, between 1.5 and 2.5cm will fit just fine.

Stop by the hardware store or your LBS, and you'll be sorted in just a few minutes.


Broken bottom bracket? Pedals are pretty loose

Here's a quick test. Grab the crank arm that you say is moving and wiggle it. Does the arm on the other side move? If so, you've probably got a bottom bracket problem. The answer then depends on whether you have a sealed or loose bearing botton bracket. As mentioned previously, a sealed shouldn't do this after 2600 miles. (Neither should a loose bearing, but it is more likely).

If the other arm is not moving, then the one wiggling is probably coming off of the bottom bracket spindle (the axle). The spindle may be rounded off, or the crank arm may be rounded off. The only way to really tell is to take it off and see. This probably means that it wasn't installed securely in the first place.


Replacement for Suntour Superbe Tech Rear Derailleur

You have friction shifters so you don't need to worry about shifter compatibility -- any derailleur can be shifted with a friction shifter provided the shifter pulls enough cable to get through the range of required shifts. So, all you need to worry about is the capacity and extreme cog sizes.

I'd just buy some Shimano derailleur like a Shimano Acera one for 15-20 bucks.


Where can I find a complete table of sprocket and with chain/hub/sprocket spacer width combinations?

The simple table you are looking for isn't really possible to compile. There are differences in what Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo do, and road and MTB drivetrains have increasingly diverged. You can see that on this page that has a table of sprocket pitches (distance between sprocket centers) and the Sheldon Brown table here. 12 speed systems have diverged even more.

There is not really a one-to-one relationship between hub width and number of speeds. Older 5 and six speed hubs were either 120 or 126mm wide. Modern road bikes went to 130mm (on rim brake bikes) to accommodate up to 11 speeds, wider widths are driven by disc brakes and rear through-axles, not increasing numbers of sprockets in the cassette. Same kind of deal for mountain bikes, but with wider widths.

This page gives chain widths for 7 through 12 speeds, it's generally correct although I'm a bit skeptical about the actual chain width figures. I'm fairly sure there are differences between road and mountain chains.


If it's an aluminum steerer with a star nut and conventional top cap and bolt, just use a big drill to go through the bolt head. This will remove the top cap. At that point you have various options. Presumably the bolt stub is corroded in place. You could try grasping it with needle nose vise grips, penetrating oil soak, etc. If it's corroded solid you could just pound it down and put a new star nut in for a quick fix. Otherwise, there are various ways of getting a star nut properly out.
If this is a plug, the line of attack is going to depend on the specific design. Most of them would make it pretty easy to drill out the preload wrench flats you've stripped sufficiently to get a wrench down into the plug expander bolt, letting you just remove the whole thing. If it's glued or the steerer has integral threads, you're going to need to get the threads moving somehow to save the fork.
Presuming we're talking about an aluminum top cap and/or bolt, I wouldn't be too worried about drilling. Go slow, use cutting fluid, and it should go smooth. You should have a pretty big buffer to the walls of the steerer.


You can use a trainer on a mountain bike, but a big issue that you will run into if you don't want to change set-up between the trainer and your rides on the weekend is that running knobbly tyres on a trainer is just plain noisy. If you are determined to run the same tyre on the trainer as off-road, I'd recommend looking into the tyres that have a raised, slick low rolling resistance portion in the middle, with knobs on the sides to help with cornering.


I think in most cases there's going to be a better solution than actually doing this, but wing bolts are one way to go.

Since most of the accessories brackets in question have recessed holes for the bolts, you may need a spacer of some sort in between, like a presta ring.


Modifying a bike for winter (on a budget)

Having lived in a few parts of the US, I've found what people call small to medium to be drastically different based on the region ("oh yeah, we just had a light snow last night", and i look outside to see 4+ inches versus "it snowed like crazy last night" and i look outside to see a half inch and the whole city has come to a grinding halt), so its a bit hard to judge how much snow you're going to encounter, so I'm going to assume 2-3 inches fairly regularly (if it snows once or twice in the winter where you live, who cares?).

The ideal winter bike should be cheap and preferably somewhat disposable. Full fenders are good since they'll protect you from slush and what not and your drivetrain. The slush and snow and grit will still get into your drivetrain and what not even with full fenders, so you do have to make a habit of cleaning the bike off regularly in the winter (which can be tricky depending on where you live), or component life can be drastically shortened.

If you expect to encounter ice, studded tires are advisable (Peter White's page is an OK overview for this: http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp , though Nashbar does (used to?) sell very cheap studded tires made by Kenda - not good for off road, but perfect for commuting). I'd say have these on hand if you can - in my experience, snow often leads to ice. Just don't try riding like a maniac or you're wear out the studs. If you can't afford them, get a cheap set of knobbies and run them at low pressure and be careful (always be careful when theres snow+ice around). Be careful with sizing since studded tires of the same "size" may need slightly different clearance.

As for the hybrid, it depends on what kind of hybrid it is - if it isn't twitchy and can use "large" tires (say, like a Trek 7.2 fx or a modern Specialized Sirrus), it should be OK. If not, I'd use the mountain bike and try to fit some fenders on it (probably you'll be only to fit things like the SKS X-tra dry, X-board or something similar, but its better than nothing) and take extra care to clean it up regularly. Discs would be nice for winter commuting at times if your rims are covered in slush, but a good V or canti setup is fine as well. Overall, if you have to use one of your two current bikes and both fit the conditions above, use the cheaper one or the one you're more comfortable riding in messy situations.

The best option IMO is to find a cheap old rigid (one less thing to go wrong - some of the cheaper suspension bikes make horrible noises in the winter and its just not necessary) mountain bike (think 90s specialized hardrock, giant boulder (I've use a 2003-ish one of these as my commuter for the past few years, since its fairly comfortable, pretty cheap to maintain (though things rarely fail, even with cheap (acera-x level) components), fits full fenders and a rack, fits reasonable sized tires and nobody wants to steal it!) or whatever - the spec, weight is far less important for a beater than for your primary bike, just a decent fit) probably at Goodwill or something (these are quite cheap to find about now - if you live near a college campus and go to a bike shop which sells more cheaper / used bikes, you'll be able to select some from there at a bit of a higher but reasonable price), give it some elbow grease (probably a new chain and lube and new brake pads, some various adjustments), fit it with full fenders, some lights (extremely important in winter) and some knobby/studded tires. Replace components as they start being not good. The total cost for this could be less than 100 dollars and two - three hours of work if you're smart about it and prone to getting distracted (so you can then invest in some winter clothing!).