Are aluminum anti-seize and silver anti-seize different?

Anti-seize compound exists to prevent galling, which according to Wikipedia is a problem with metal parts in sliding contact, particularly parts under high pressure with stationary or slow-speed contact.  Some metals, such as aluminum and stainless steel, are more prone to galling than other materials, like hardened steel.

Loctite make a brand of anti-seize compound, Loctite 37565, that is marketed as "Silver Anti-Seize", that they say is "fortified with graphite and metallic flake"; they don't say anything about the product actually containing silver, so I think "silver" is a marketing term.  The metallic flake in it might well be aluminum (copper also seems to be popular).  I couldn't tell you whether aluminum or "silver" anti-seize is better, but I do know from personal experience that if you're using stainless steel fasteners, any kind of anti-seize compound is much better than none.


Where can I buy a wide range of used bike parts online?

Loose Screws Small Bicycle Parts has a decent selection of small parts.


How do I stop my rear derailleur from rubbing against my chassis?

To clarify, these Shimano Tourney derailleurs have their spring-loaded pivot at a different place to where they attach to the derailleur hangar. Pivot B is not a pivot at all, and shouldn't be free to move. However, it is currently attached at the wrong angle. The angle made between the hangar and the rigid part of the derailleur should be more acute, as in this image.

Note that there is a protruding tab on the derailleur's attachment point, and on the hangar itself. These tabs should be pressed against each other, such that the arrangement prevents that part of the derailleur from rotating in an anticlockwise direction relative to the hangar. I've highlighted the tabs that need to mate together in the image below.

You may need to fine tune the chain length and derailleur adjustment further, follow the Shimano service instuctions for RD-TX55.


Can I secure a 12v battery to my bicycle to charge it? And then attach a 12v horn to it?

I think you're on the wrong track looking at batteries because they're heavy, stealable, fragile, and bad ecologically.

Firstly, you already have an airhorn installed in the middle of your face.  Its steerable so it always sounds in the direction you're looking.
Plus it needs no batteries, and best of all it plays a customised noise, from "OI!" to "LOOK OUT!" to "STOP!"

That was a serious suggestion, but if you want a horn consider an airhorn something like http://deltacycle.com/airzound-horn
It refills from a bike pump and is lighter than a battery, plus no drag from a generator/alternator.

My own experience - I put a small 1.2AH 12V battery inside a disposable 600 ml bottle, and used a small car battery charger to charge it.   I also put a car 12V-->USB adapter in the mouth of the bottle to run my camera and cellphone.  This worked well, but loses a drink cage.

My electric bike has 3x 7AH SLA batteries.  They are in a frame built from light angle aluminium and rivets.  This replaces the main drink bottle cage and works fine, but probably overkill for your requirements.


If you are looking to learn about wheel building, google search Sheldon Brown. He has a website that is phenomenal. I highly recommend it. I learned everything I know about wheel building from a couple hours of youtube videos, the park tool bike mechanics book, and his website.

As for your specific question, I think overall the spoke tension throughout the wheel sounds like it is not enough and after tightening and truing whichever side it is that you are having trouble with I would do a quarter turn on each spoke in the wheel and ride. If it loosens up do another quarter turn on each spoke. With a properly laced and trued wheel with spokes at the proper tension you should never have issues with the spokes loosening.


Looks like an attaching point for some kind of trailer, maybe a single wheel trailer.


Welcome to Stack Exchange! I don’t mean to write a trivial answer, but unfortunately the answer is that you would just buy a new quick release. You can often buy just a front quick release. You could try asking on Facebook marketplace or your local Craigslist. Frequently, cyclists will have some spare QRs lying around. Naturally, your bike store can often help you, although the global supply chain has been disrupted due to the pandemic and they may be out of stock on some items.
Now that you are shopping, you might consider an internal cam or enclosed cam skewer. Sheldon Brown’s site has more detail. However, you had an external cam skewer. For the same amount of hand force, internal cam skewers generate much more clamping force. This means that an internal cam skewer that clamped your wheel as tight as your old one would be much easier to open. Furthermore, the cam mechanism is more protected from external contamination than with external cam skewers. As a side note, it’s possible that if your old skewer hadn’t been lubricated, it might just have been stuck due to contamination. Possibly, some WD40 would have removed the contamination from the mechanism, although I would normally recommend a different lubricant for actually lubricating the skewer cam.


I have to say I never consider which pads I'll be using with rotors when I buy either. I buy organic for best stopping power and metallic for longest life (kevlar somewhere in the middle).

For mountain biking, the weather and type of mud/grit you're riding on is a FAR greater killer of pads than a rotor; you can easily get through a new set of pads in a few hours in sandy and wet conditions.


What pedals should I upgrade to for racing on the road and possibly track?

I would recommend the Look Keo Classic pedals if you are not hyper-sensitive to the weight.  They offer a carbon version if you decide to spend the extra bucks for the lighter version.  Popular and well-liked pedal with the extremely common Look cleat style.

I picked my pair up from probikekit.com, they had the best price at the time and offered free shipping but YMMV.


There are devices that allow a bicycle to be modified to make it easier and safer to ride with one arm. Riding safely would come with practice and confidence.  Trikes or recumbents mentioned in the comments offer a safe alternative also.

The key modification needed for a bike is a steering damper. The damper adds resistance to steering by way of a spring and helps slow down movement. It relieves the twitchiness of one armed steering. Steering dampers vary from a rudimentary spring based system such as the Hebie 695
a more sophisticated elastomer spring like the Hebie 696

or the hydraulic Hopey system.

Other modifications include mounting both brake levers on one side to allow single hand usage and using 1x gearing with a single shifter. (or in the case below a 3x9 in an over/under shifter configuration)

There are a few online resources such as NotBroken which show both modified bikes and riders who use a single arm such as Tom Bannister.


Wheel size for heavier rider, larger vs smaller

I've heard before that a smaller wheel is actually stronger, and this site states the following.

  Because a 26-inch wheel has a smaller circumference than a larger 700c wheel, the rim is structurally stronger and resists deformation from impact. Wheels that are 26 inches excelled at handling hard drop-offs and even crashes without losing their true.

The way I understand it is that a 26 inch wheel is shorter, and therefore has a shorter lever arm when stressing the spokes. Imagine you had an enormous wheel. Because it's so big, you'd need very little force along the rim of the tire to deform the rim. Now imagine a smaller 20 inch or even smaller wheel. You would required a lot of force to deform the rim because it's being applied closer to the hub.  Also, assuming the same number of spokes, the smaller rim will have the spokes closer together on the rim.

I was able to find a couple other sites that agree that smaller wheels are stronger.

700c vs 26inch Wheel Size for Touring

This site states, among other information

  Not everyone can afford the highest quality wheel and tyre parts. If
  this is you, a 26inch wheel will offer more strength for your buck.

Wheel size facts Part 1.... Dimensions, Weight and Strength

  If comparing like to like wheel builds (same rims, hubs etc), smaller
  wheels will always inherently be stronger than larger wheels. This is
  due to wider gaps between spoke eyelets and poorer spoke triangulation
  etc. So strength to weight ratio is something that will always be won
  by smaller wheels.


If you've used the brake pads up to the point where the metal is exposed, you've used them way too long and possibly caused some rim damage. There are wear indicator grooves on brake pads -- when they're gone, put on new pads.

As for having metal embedded in the brake pads, I defer to this question. You might want to try switching pads (Promax stuff is generally low quality -- try Kool Stop), and checking the wear indicators on the rims.


Which removal tool do I need for this 16t bottom bracket?

Looks like a typical 20 tooth (Park Tool BBT-22/32) tool should do the job. I'm not sure why every 5th spline is left out of this cup design, but visually the spacing looks the same.


Gates Carbon Drive vs single-speed chain, long term lifespan and maintenance

On single sped vs. 11 speed chains. A SS chain should last a lot longer than a derailleur chain. SS chains will have wider side-plates and therefore larger bearing surfaces. The big difference is that SS chains are run with the chain ring and sprocket aligned. Derailleur chains spend most of their time being run with the chain ring and sprocket offset so the chain has to cope with lateral forces.


Power washing will clean your bike, followed by closely after forcing you to replace all your bearing compartments.  This means your headset, bottom bracket, pedals, and wheels (hubs, freewheel or freehub).

Do not powerwash your bike.  At all.  With all the effort it would take to properly "cover" all the bearing compartments, then had washing all those areas after, you could have just cleaned the entire bike by hand properly.


Can you put a kickstand on the righthand side?

You should look into getting a folding double kickstand. They're great for loaded bikes. Both legs fold off to the left side, but when you kick it down one leg supports each side so the bike stays perfectly upright.


There is nothing obviously wrong with your handlebar setup. As long the shift and brake levers are easily accessible and you don't have to rotate your wrists or shift your hand laterally along the bar to reach them everything is OK

Maybe I'd consider moving the levers slightly outwards (and I note there is a slight difference in position, the right hand one is slightly more inboard.

Numb hands are a common problem. You don't have to ride with your fingers on the levers all the time. Try moving you hands around the bars and bar ends and flexing your fingers from time to time.


One arm has an adjusting knob that forwards/retracts it, therefore correcting the trajectory deviation. See the blue Knob and the black plastic that it moves on the picture bellow.

No need to overadjust it, since small changes in how the wheel and/or arms are inserted will change the trajectory center the next time. Just make it good enough and correct small deviations by pushing the cart unevenly.


Mongoose Right Bike Gears shifting up magically

It sounds like you have a broken or worn shifter. Grip shifters have small plastic teeth inside them. The teeth loosely mesh so that it will move when twisted but tight enough to maintain the selected gear. These shifters are still common and relatively inexpensive generally around $10 US.


How to use a stirrup pump on kids bikes - no space for chuck?

Sadly no - that short hose would have been used on an old-school frame pump, and yes, it would have been stored in the handle.  The host/pump thread is not the same size or pitch as a schrader.

The threads are not opposites, so that hose won't go into a schrader chuck.

Compare the end with these adapters - see how the brassy one looks like another schrader valve, and the topeak one looks larger?

Your other option is to simply lean the valve stem over a bit, and see if that gives you room to flip the lever.  The valve stem may tear off, more likely if its an old tube.

Or since its the same as a car tyre, take the bike down to the local service station and use their air bowser to fill the tyre.  Not sure about your location but here most fuel station air pumps would fit fine on any little wheel's valve stem.


Securing sliding bar grips without hair spray?

Wipe the bar with isopropyl alcohol. It evaporates completely and will leave dry rubber against a clean bar.

If they slip and slide after more than about 24 hours left alone, the you may need to replace the grips (assuming they're not new).

The high alcohol content is what makes hairspray effective, and using isopropyl alcohol cuts out the sticky residue of the hairspray that is made up of its remaining content.

A grip left on its own will bond to the bar after some time, even if installed completely without any additives, so you still may need to cut them loose when it's time to change them.

Alternatively, use either a lock on grip, or a wire twist to secure a loose grip without lock ons.

As for honey, masking tape, or adding a piece of tube, it would be very difficult to install them, honey would be more permanent by far than hairspray, and there are better alternatives.

Hairspray, btw, is not permanent. It's just difficult to remove without a compressor or damaging the grip.


The simple, short answer is practice. Simply riding around at moderate to slow speeds, practicing starting off, braking, stopping and negotiating tight turns will help build balance, confidence and control of the bike. Do this in a quiet spot away from people and cars if you can. If you are worried about falling do it on grass.

The most useful foundational bike handling skill is to learn how to stand up on the pedals, or at least take your weight off the saddle and onto the pedals through your legs. Being able to do this enables you to absorb bumps through your legs but also shift your weight around for better braking and low speed maneuvering. Being able to pedal while standing up also allows you to apply more power to get over short climbs or accelerate quickly.

Learning how to brake hard and stop quickly is obviously a very important safety skill. It involves using both the front and rear brakes in the right proportion  and shifting your weight backwards.

The other thing I'd recommend it learning how to use your bike's gears properly and be able to shift into appropriate low gears for hills, short steep climbs and stopping and starting.

Global Cycling Network has several bike handling skills videos. They are oriented towards fast road riding but the principles all apply. Here is their latest one:


How to dismantle Campag Ergolevers (hex key won't turn)

From my experience (see below) since asking the questions, the answers are:

Am I doing something wrong? NO
Is there a known problem with these sometimes seizing? YES - known now by me!
If so, any ideas about freeing the seized part? YES thanks @ojs for the suggestion.

My experience was that I broke the plastic body of the lever. This was because it was held in a vice and I was putting a great deal of torque (lefty-loosey, thanks @haniel-r-hicks :-) ) through the seized bolt in a last ditch attempt dismantle it.


What size would be appropriate for me? I'm 173 cm or 5 feet 8.11 inches tall. The frame sizes I'm getting are 16 inch or 17.5 inch

Don't be confused by bike size - the 16-17 inch measurement is a measurement of the bike frame - from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. If your choice is mountain bike, that size sounds close. At your height, according to the charts I saw, you're probably closer to 17-18 than 16-17.
There are a bunch of bike sizing tables on the Net. Personally, I've always preferred a slightly larger bike when given that kind of choice, but it's really a matter of personal comfort.


Frame with bottle cage boss ripped out - how serious is the damage?

You'll need to very carefully inspect the area around the boss that's been ripped out, as well as your usual second hand frame check. If the bike was ridden after the damage cracks could easily have spread and you might be well on the way to a two piece seat tube. This groove could be the start of a problem, but it's probably just a scar from where the cage was ripped out:

I suggest that before you think about buying it, ring a local framebuilder and ask whether they will fix it for you. Then ask what they will charge you. Then work out what parts you're going to need and roughly what they'll cost. Adding all that up will help you answer "is this bike worth that much to me?"

My expectation is that brazing a diamond of old tubing over that hole would fix the problem, assuming there's no real cracking. You'd want to wire brush the paint off most of the seat tube, or possibly start by having the whole frame sandblasted clean. That will save the framebuilder charging you for the work, and once it's clean you can more easily check for other damage. After it's brazed you will be repainting it anyway, so this step just tweaks the order a little to make life easier. Note that after blasting it will rust very, very easily, and also soak up oil, so try to not touch it with your greasy paws any more than you need to.

Once it's clean I'd take it straight to the framebuilder. Your inspection will mean nothing to them, they will want to check everything themselves. Not least because once they work on it, it's their problem - any failures of the frame are likely to end up on their doorstep. So be prepared for them to say "nope, not touching it, despite what I said on the phone". Ideally with a reason, but how much have you paid them so far? They may want to sleeve the tube for this reason.

If it was my bike I'd just hit the area with a wire brush in the grinder to clean off 5cm each side of the hole all the way round the tube, check for damage, flex the frame to see if that opens up any cracks, then braze a chunk of old tube over it. Then I'd post it off to my local blast'n'paint shop, with the BB and other threaded holes plugged (I have a set of old BB cups that have been blasted and painted/powdercoated about 10 times so far). That would take me maybe an hour if I was charging for it, excluding the blasting and painting. But for a difficult customer I'd charge 2-3 hours because if you waste my time you're going to pay for my time.

The basic issue is that it's an old frame that's not worth a huge amount, and after the repair it'll be worth even less. As in, you probably won't be able to sell the bike, full stop. So the question is: do you want the bike after the repair?


Why are regenerative brakes uncommon on e-bikes?

There are several reasons for regenerative brakes not being common on bicycles unlike in electric cars:

Electric bicycles have very poor acceleration, and the rider produces about half of the acceleration with the motor producing the rest. The power is limited by the low-speed motor, not the battery. Most quality electric motors like to spin at 5000 - 20000 RPM, but in e-bikes they do not spin at any such speed range. The best RPM situation in electric bikes is in mid-drive bikes that have enough space to use reduction gears, and the mid-drive arrangement does not allow regenerative braking due to the freewheel. The worst RPM situation in electric bikes (lowest RPM) is in hub motors, the only arrangement that would make regenerative braking possible. These hub motors cannot produce high forwards torque, and therefore, cannot produce high inverse torque for braking. In contrast, electric cars are well-known for their high acceleration, thus allowing rapid braking. An electric bicycle with regenerative braking could produce only half of its poor acceleration as braking force, and it is not at all significant.

A common use case for regenerative braking in electric cars is going downhill. Most car drivers drive always very near the speed limit (unless traffic condition or safety requires otherwise). In contrast, most bicyclists ride at a very low speed that could be much higher. A car driver going downhill needs to brake to keep under the speed limit, whereas a bicyclist often uses a downhill as an opportunity for going fast. The most common braking at downhills for bicyclists is a 90-degree or hairpin turn after a downhill, and to maximize average speed, most bicyclists only brake very close to the turn, instead of braking all the time before the turn. Thus, a downhill is not a good location for an electric bicyclist to brake.

Another common use case for regenerative braking in electric cars is stopping at a red light. In contrast to cars where braking close to red lights instead of anticipating the traffic lights far away is common even for internal combustion engine cars lacking regenerative braking, most bicyclists have learned an energy-saving way of going through traffic lights, avoiding unnecessary accelerations to high speeds only to need to brake right away. While a regenerative brake could be useful for an electric bicyclist adopting a different rapid start - rapid stop riding style, most bicyclists do not consider such a riding style necessary.

The final killing blow making regenerative braking infeasible is the controlling of such brakes. In most cars, there is natural engine braking. Some electric or hybrid-electric cars (Toyota) simulate the typical engine braking amount with regenerative braking, while at the same time having complicated (expensive, heavy) machinery to adapt between regenerative braking and disc braking using the brake pedal. This approach has the advantage of familiarity for most automatic transmission car drivers. Such an expensive, complicated and heavy machine would not be acceptable on a bicycle. Other electric cars (Tesla) cheat somewhat and make the engine braking huge, to avoid having the complicated (expensive, heavy) machinery to adapt between regenerative braking and disc braking when the driver presses the brake pedal. In contrast, high-quality bicycles have extremely low rolling resistance and no engine braking -- there is a freewheel. The natural slight regenerative braking would be of no value in such a bicycle. The braking controls of a high-quality bicycle are independent levers for front and rear wheels. A regenerative brake would work on only one of those levers. Most of the time, the bicyclist uses the front brake only, and most quality hub motor electric bicycles are not front wheel drive for a good reason (when going uphill seated, the front wheel is practically unloaded and would slip). Even for a bicyclist that brakes with the rear brake, there would need to be complicated (expensive, heavy) machine to operate both the regenerative brake and the disc/rim brake with the same lever. Cyclists would not find such a piece of machinery acceptable. Thus, the only way to make regenerative braking possible would be to add a third regenerative brake only control working only for the rear brake. It would be a terrible brake due to the low torque of hub motor drive. Such a brake would be unused for most of the time.

Also, to produce useful torque at low weight, an electric motor needs to spin fast. The only arrangement making the drive motor spin fast on an e-bike is mid-drive, where the motor drives the bottom bracket through reduction gears. Such an arrangement does not work with regenerative brakes due to rear derailleur being the chain tensioner, and due to the freewheel in the rear wheel.
Because regenerative brakes have terribly low power (reason #1), no valid use case (reasons #2 and #3) and no feasible means of control (reason #4), and because mid-drive is the most logical drive variant in e-bikes that makes regenerative braking impossible, regenerative brakes are not feasible on e-bikes unlike they are in electric cars.


Biopace chain rings and front deraileur rub

Keep in mind that there are 5 adjustments on a front derailer:

Low limit
High limit
Cable adjustment -- selects where the derailer stops for intermediate cogs
Height above crank
Angle on seat tube

For subtle chain rub problems sometimes adjusting the angle (very slightly!) is the best approach.

But remember that if the rub is only once a revolution it suggests that the ring, arm, or crank is bent.


Relatively new tube exploded by itself without any external force

A bang explode pretty much only happens when the tube leaks out from tire.

Either the slit is big enough for the tube to push through or the tire pushed over the rim and the tube leaks out.  Without a tire a tube will only handle a few pounds of pressure. I suspect the tire belt is damaged.  When you see the tire off the rim you might assume the explosion blew the tire off the rim but most likely the tire came off the rim and then the tube exploded.


How important is it to face the head tube?

In most headset designs, bearings sit between a pair of cups and races, one half on the fork steerer and the other half press-fit into the head tube.

If the cups are not parallel at both ends of the head tube, then you'll find it difficult to adjust the headset to the proper tension without binding - the cup will be meeting the race at an angle and it can seem too loose in some places and too tight in others.

The process of facing is ensuring that the ends of the head tube are parallel. The previous question of Why don't frame manufacturers ream/face their frames? addresses a little bit how a new frame can end up needing to be faced.  In general many frames manufactured today don't need it, but if you are having issues it's certainly worth pursuing.


There are a few factors to choosing a headset, primarily frame related:

Does the frame require a threaded (1") or threadless head set?
What is the headtube/ steerer type (1.5 straight, tapered, 1 1/8 straight)
Is the headset integrated (cups sit within the frame)?

Deciding if a fork will fit is a bit easier, is the steerer the correct length (it can be longer, you can use spacers above or below the stem for fit) and is it compatible? You can get headsets that interface some head tubes to steerer they are tapered steerer in 1.5 head tube or 1 1/8 steerer in tapered head tube.

Firstly identify what headset you need first and work from there. Cane Creeks headset finder is a good start.


Are chainrings specific to double or triple cranksets?

Absolutely the middle chainring of a triple is different to the inner and outers.

Tooth profile is different because the chain has to move either way from the middle
Ramps are different - your middle needs ramps on the inside in a triple.
Mount offsets are different too, which is why a triple front derailleur is different to a double.  The amount of cable pull is less for a triple compared to a double.

So if you can return the bad chainring, do so.  If not, and you're willing to modify it, you could try grinding away the tabs a little.   Don't bend them too much, alloy won't like being bent and you'll weaken the whole thing.

Probably safest to list it on ebay and buy the right part - your LBS would be best rather than buying parts on-line.  Plus if they sell you the wrong part, you can return it.


Wahoo Speed sensor: how does it work, exactly?

They use a tiny MEMS gyroscope to measure RPM. These are solid state devices that can measure axial rotation so it can count how many rotations per minute the bike’s axle is rotating. The actual structure of the MEMS gyro is quite interesting (and different from a MEMS accelerometer)- there’s a good description on Wikipedia.

Because the gyro is measuring axle RPMs and not speed directly, it does somehow have to know the tire size  so that it can convert RPMs to travel speed. See further discussion below.

Many MEMS gyros are packaged with accelerometers (the combo gyro/accelerometer is called an IMU) and there are also some with compasses, some with barometer/altimeters, and some are in the same package as GPS sensors - although GPS uses much too much power for a tiny device that is operated by coin cell batteries, so the Wahoo most definitely does not have GPS built into the sensor. If all you’re measuring is speed and you already you know the tire circumference, then all you need is a basic gyro unit.  However, IMUs have become really cheap due to their implementation in cell phones and they allow for more flexibility than gyros alone.

The OP clarified  their device doesn’t need the wheel size so it’s either 1) using an IMU to analyze accelerometer data  to calibrate the wheel size internally against the gyro -- or 2) it's using the receiver/phone's GPS to calibrate wheel size.

1) Using just the accelerometer on an IMU isn’t going to be as accurate as using a direct measurement of the wheel. It's hard to accurately measure velocity from acceleration data, especially when your sensor is also rotating slightly off-axially in space on a bumpy road -- and so to 'cheat',  the sensor CPU is likely doing a rough calculation and then using the closest pre-set in an internal table of values (i.e, one pre-set for 700c wheelsets, one for 26", etc. but it wouldn't be able to tell a 23mm tire from a 28mm tire). However, because most people don’t accurately measure their wheel circumference anyway and just use preprinted cheat sheets anyway, the loss in precision isn’t really of great concern to the end user (see manual calibration note at end).

2) Using the GPS in the receiver would be the most accurate way to calibrate wheel size, especially over longer distances as you can precisely divide (say) 1000 meters by the number of revolutions to get a measurement of wheelsize accurate to 1% (GPS is accurate to about 10 meters) - although any bends or curves would greatly throw off the GPS measurement of linear distance.

Where these inertial units are the most helpful for end-users are in conjunction with GPS at very slow speeds or curvy roads where the GPS has trouble tracking speed-over-ground or measuring distance-over-ground over bendy roads. The data from the IMU can help the receiver better calibrate and ensure that you're properly credited for all those slow, tight hairpin turns as you get KOM.

Note: looking at the manual for the Wahoo, there is an option for entering the wheel circumference directly for when the automatic measurement fails.


There are other brands and fabrics, I've used a few

eVent is very similar to GoreTex. Wind stopper, waterproof, breathable, my rain pants are made with eVent. I love my clothes and gloves made with WindStopper, a little cheaper, but not waterproof. When I first started commuting by bicycle, I got a Nylon jacket, made with coated nylon and taped seams. It worked well until the coating wore off. I do think it is worth it to spend the extra money and get something that works from the start.

I have not seen many fully waterproof jackets that are lined for warmth, you may need to get the best shell and layer underneath. I find the wind blocking aspects keep me warm with a nice thermal base layer.

Very similar for rain pants too. I have fleece lined bicycle pants (WindStopper material on the front) for when no rain (or very light). If it is raining, I wear leggings underneath my fully waterproof pants, which don't offer as much warmth, but they do keep the rain/wind out.


Either your cones are coming loose, or the bearings are absolutely fried.

I had this same thing happen to me when I was first getting into bikes.

The hub was loose, I tightened it, I went for a ride, the hub was loose again.

I finally got up the nerve to take the hub apart (yeah, I was pretty n00b back then). The cones and cups were damaged unbelievably. And a stray bearing was well on its way to eating through the axle.

You've had the bike "serviced"... did they take the hub apart?

If the cones are coming loose, you need to lock them in tighter and make sure that you're adjusting correctly (just loose enough that there's no binding. A little play is okay).

In the case that the cups and cones are completely fried (at the rate that the wheel is coming loose, they would be completely fried), you need a new hub.


How can I repair carbon damage near my bottom bracket?

Most of that damage is through the paint, but there are obviously some gouges in the surface of the carbon fiber composite itself. I think if you want to be sure that a repair is good you will have to consult a professional CFC repair shop. Chances are they can sand off the paint, smooth the area and lay a patch over the damage.


Why would one put tennis balls in the spokes?

I believe it's a stylistic choice, and doesn't actually serve any function.


The first place I look for 'unusual' parts is Loose Screws. They have Ultegra and Dura Ace bar end shifters available.

My second source is Rivendell Bicycle Works - They have a couple of different options.

Not sure what you consider a reasonable price, but $100 US seems to be the ballpark for new shifters.

Finally - you can always try eBay for used parts, but that is hit and miss for both quality and selection when dealing with more obscure parts like these.


Kickstand compatible with 2011 TREK Utopia

You should be able to get a standard kickstand on there unless there is some proprietary frame weld-on by Trek where the stand usually goes. Get a Greenfield kickstand with a plate that looks like this: http://harriscyclery.net/images/library/catalogs/soc/p350X350m/KI1005.jpg

I'll bet this can be made to fit. However, truth be told, a kickstand doesn't really belong on a mountain bike unless it's a bike from a department store like walmart, etc.


Why do many full face bicycle helmets not conform to the ASTM F1952 standard?

Short answer: they're not required to.

According to http://www.spkids.com/pages/astm-helmet-safety-standards-explained   this standard consists of these tests:

Dropped from two meters on flat anvil (iron block); drops from curbstone and hemispheric anvils placed higher than bicycle helmet testing
Three anvils mimic various mountain bike terrains for helmet drop landings
A lower test line than bicycle helmets in the back of the helmet ensures back and side of head coverage
Chin strap/buckle strength and retention tests similar to the CPSC standard
Chin bar is tested under ambient conditions

By comparison ASTM F1447 is "Bicycle and roller skating helmets"  and the tests are:

Eight sample helmets, two each in hot (up to 127 degrees), cold (as low as -1 degree), wet and ambient environments
Four samples (one in each of the conditioning environments) are impacted with anvils of three different shapes (flat, hemispheric and curbstone) mimicking biker terrain
Dropped from two meters, the peak acceleration of the force during impact is measured
The ambient helmet is subjected to the positional stability (roll-off) test
Helmets are subjected to the dynamic strength retention test (chinstrap and buckle strength)

ASTM is American, so assume its degrees F not C.

Summary, the downhill helmet has to pass harder tests than a bike helmet to be accredited to the higher standard.

However, that all costs money, which has to be passed onto the end user as higher cost on that model.

To paraphrase "you can crash harder on this expensive helmet and have a better chance of survival than with a normal helmet"  so the thought process goes "I don't/rarely crash but I have to wear a helmet for law/competition rules/downhill park T&C"

If there were cheap helmets for sale that met no standards, but ticked the box for "wearing helmet" then they'd sell quite well.


Do I need to change my cassette if I can't see any wear?

That's an impressive amount of mileage on a single chain.  Especially on a narrow 11-speed one.  I'm guessing that you keep everything very well maintained and don't ride in much wet weather?

The two main problems you'll get from a worn cassette are:

Skipping chain (either between cogs or jumping on a single cog)
Premature chain wear (as the chain stretches to match the worn cassette's teeth)

If you're not seeing the first problem and visually the cassette looks fine, then you're probably ok to keep using it.  Best case, everything works fine and you've delayed the cost of using your new cassette.  Worst case, your new chain won't last as long and at that point you'll have to change both.

Since chains cost much less than cassettes, I'd suggest running with the old cassette if it's not skipping and shifts smoothly.


Will I cause any damage with a mismatched wheel set?

You can run different wheels in the front and back (different brands are fine). Heck, some bicycles have different sizes in the front and back (and are sold that way; 96ers and 69ers are examples)!

The only thing you need to make sure is that the wheel fits in the frame and the brakes work.


Rear seat for kids electric bike above battery

In the Netherlands, where most parents cycle with their kids, kids seats are now routinely attached to the seatpost or the part of the frame where the seat post drops into.
The kid will be above the rack but much of the weight will be on the middle of the frame.
There is no contact between the seat and the rack with battery. Many e-bikes are sold with both front and rear kid seats.
I did not find any 'non commercial' pictures so far, but if you google -bobike rear kid seat-  you will find several or many of that brand (other brands are also likely to have them, but I do not know their names, I am not connected to the brand in any way, I just see them used often.)
Do not worry about the weight of the child, many Dutch ride with adults on the rear rack, with no problems. (The racks may not like it, the weight spread over the bike works.) Just keep an eye on how you handle the bike with the weight there.
And do not forget the child when you get on or off when you are used to a diamond frame, see this video fragment.


Is there any functional point of using alloy jockey wheels?

The material itself is not so important, I think, but for sure the alloy jockeys last longer than plastic ones.

Besides that, the main adventage comes with the (often coming together with alloy pulleys) BEARING you already mentioned. Besides eliminating lateral play and so improving shifting precision (in my perception), they also decrease rolling resistance and improve drivetrain efficiency. Finally, these bearings work better suffer less without lube (don't wear out inside like plastic pulleys), and require much less lubing in the first place.

Well, these are my insights. Hope it helps.


As far as physically attaching the thing, that's easy, any shrader pump should fit as long as the head is small enough to clear anything in the way.

I've used a minipump to fill forks in an emergency, but it's not easy.

Shocks run at much higher pressures though and I'm not sure you're going to be able to get high enough with most pumps. Some quick Googling says Fox Shocks have a max of 300PSI, that's a lot.

A cheap shock pump can be got for $15, just buy one. The right tool for the job is usually the best way to go.


Uneven Chain Ring Wear, or Manufactured This Way?

More or less all contemporary multi-speed chainrings are like that. The idea is the different profiled teeth correspond to different areas of the ramps and/or pins to create specific assisted areas for shifts to occur.


Chain falling off inner chain ring no matter how L screw is set

I have had this happen due to a worn rear derailleur spring.  the rear derailleur isn't able to take up the slack fast enough.  also check your chain line, bent rear derailleur hanger, front derailleur cage alignment.  see if you can fit a chain catcher on your bike.


Accurately replicating the resistance felt whilst riding via a resistance fan diy turbo trainer

The two main forces that are provide resistance when biking are the rolling resistance and the air resistance. The rolling resistance though becomes a small fraction of the resistance once you achieve a constant rate of biking.
Here's an article illustrating this idea.

So analyzing exclusively the wind force while riding will cover a large part of the picture but leave some of it out. The best way to mimic the force of riding a bicycle is to match the kinetic energy (or moment of inertia).

You can achieve this result in many ways (mathematically indefinite), as you can either have a huge fan that will spin very slowly, a small fan that spins very quickly, or anywhere in-between.

So any type of fan will work, you just need to manipulate the gear ratio between the crank and the fan so that it matches the energy of the rider. Butt I'm a little confused on the site saying air speed is in m/(s^2) since speed is m/s, and would not use that as the metric for the rider's resistance since it doesn't factor in all resistances felt while riding a normal bike.

This all being said, if you have access to an electric motor you could tie into the fan (with controllable output), you could output wattage of an average rider (or your wattage), see how fast it spins, then using gear ratio calculations between the crank and the fan, see what ratio you'd need to achieve this speed. Any small errors in calculations could be compensated by the ability to change gears so they wouldn't be noticeable.


Should I change my chain? It broke once, but its condition seems rather good

The tool to check for "chain stretch" is incredibly cheap -- something every halfway-serious cyclist should have.

And chain breakage is most often caused by poorly executed shifting under load or a poorly adjusted derailer. (Though another cause is a poorly joined chain.)

(Poor lubrication is unlikely to cause the chain to break as a first indication -- excessive wear of chain and cogs is far more likely, and the chain will only break when wear has reached extreme levels.)


You've met a mechanic that either wants you to buy more brake pads from his/her shop or doesn't know what he/she is doing. There's really no good reason to resurface your disc brake pads, let alone on a monthly basis. All that's doing is decreasing the life of your pads and temporarily decreasing your braking power until your pads bed back into the rotors.
I think that the reason some mechanics feel the need to resurface disc brake pads is a carryover from the need to resurface rim brakes, which do need to be resurfaced in some instances.


Can a 120mm fork be mounted on Specialized Myka?

Most 120mm forks have a similar axle to crown height and it's more or less 40mm higher than the axle to crown height of typical 80mm fork. There are of course differences between models, but not really enough to matter.

Typically hard tail frames are designed around a range of fork sizes. 120mm would be long for an XC frame that came with an 80mm fork. I doubt the manufacturer would recommend this, however lot's of people do those kinds of swaps without significant issues. It is pushing the design limits of the frame, and if you're pushing the limits of what the bike can do, you may run into problems.

That big a change will affect the geometry and handling of the bike significantly. It will slacken the head angle, raise the front handlebars and also rotate the seat tube backwards. These are all great if you want to go downhill fast, they are all bad if you want to climb uphill fast. It will also lengthen the wheelbase and make the bike a bit more difficult to handle in tight corners at slow speeds.

Setting the longer fork at a lower sag value ( i.e. 25% vs the more typical 20% recommended for XC use ) will help limit some of the geometry changes.


The secret is simple, you need to:

place the master link (the part with the pins) with the opening towards you,
bend (flex) the chain so the open ends of the pins come closer to each other,
put the flat part of the master link,
release the bend allowing the pins to snap into the flat part of the master link.

Since one picture saves 1000 words, they say...

The bend of the chain is a bit exaggerated, only to show the idea of the action required. One bends the chain using their hands.

And from my own experience - I prefer this type of master link over power link since linking and breaking the chain does not require literally any tools (excepto for one's hands) making it great for road-side repairs. Disengaging power link does require at least pliers (dedicated tool recommended) unless one has enormous strength at their fingertips.


Are folding handlebars a good idea from an engineering standpoint?

Well, from an engineering standpoint, no. It increases complexity, cost and weight. Those might be a deal breaker for the commuters who would likely use them. From a practical standpoint, maybe. @NL_Derek; you could be the first to test one!

In conjunction with other folding components (frame like a Dahon & pedals), it may suit the users need, imagine putting your bike in a suitcase.

If we assume that the design criteria are such that we need a folding handlebar, nothing here jumps out at me as anything that could not be adequately addressed with quality engineering. You could say a folding bike or folding pedals appear to be very dangerous, but if they are well engineered and manufactured with quality, there is nothing inherently dangerous about them. Whether this particular item is well made, can't say. @RoboKaren, I'd agree that something other than the threaded connection between the two halves might be better unless it has some measure preventing it from loosening unexpectedly, like a cam-lock mechanism of some sort.

Just for kicks, I modeled up what in my estimation would be a sturdy hinge assembly, if made with the right materials, roughly copying the design of what is shown in the picture. I don’t have time to do a joining detail though…


No, that person was confused and you have it right. A new 700x25 tire will fit the same as what you have. Often 40 year old wheels will need new rim strips while you're at it.


What are the typical range of maximum braking friction forces?

What is the relative difference between hydraulic and cable actuated disc brakes?
What is the relative difference between hydraulic and cable actuated rim brakes?

Generally speaking - hydraulic brakes offer more modulation.  There's more "hand-feel" between the initial bite and through to full-on braking.
Whether its disk or rim is less important - the rim brake can be treated as a really big rotor.
Cable actuated disk calipers tend to be single sided, so they have one moving pad and one stationary pad.  These can work fine, but they have to flex the rotor subtly when braking.  A hydraulic disk caliper, and any kind of rim brake will bring both pads to the braking surface.
A good rim brake can easily exceed a mediocre disk brake of any style.  Which is better between a good rim brake and a good disk caliper is still undecided.  Disks have a weight and aero penalty, but don't depend on a planar rim.


Why do people use bigger cassettes for lower gearing when they could instead use smaller chainrings?

Gear ratio range.

If you decrease the chainring sizes you decrease the highest ratios available. It's not possible to make the gap between the chainrings much bigger and get decent front shifting so the large ring has to shrink with the small one.

It's easier for manufacturers to make a wide ratio cassette that retains an 11 tooth sprocket and shifts well.


Is it possible to see distance to a waypoint, along the current course?

According to the Edge 1000 PDF manual download, there is a data field called Time to Next which should give you what you want. The manual says this gives you:

  The remaining distance to the next waypoint on the route. You must be
  navigating for this to appear.


What is the best way to raise handle bars

A stem with a greater angle and rise, potentially coupled with a riser handlebar will be a stronger solution than a steerer extender. If you are doing casual riding on flat ground a steerer extender is probably OK. If you are riding rough terrain and putting a lot of force through the bars an extender may not be able to handle it.


Atomized bubbles while following Park process to bleed Magura MT5

I thought the sealed system would prevent oil from tumbling out the caliper-side port, similar to how I can use a straw and my finger to lift coke out of a glass. But it doesn't seem to be the case here

I had similar experience with Magura brakes — just shutting the lever-side port closed did not stop oil from leaking from the caliper body's opening.

One variation from the Park guide that I did my second time was detach the caliper from the fork and bring the vent hole up to parity with the lever-side vent so that I didn't leak oil or leave space when I put the stopper bolt on. That seems to have helped.

Raising the caliper body at the lever's level is what the official Magura video tells us to do; see timestamp 3:30.

And I guess secondly is there a followup process I could do to further purge any remaining air from the system?

When I had problems with banishing of remaining bubbles from my Magura calipers after a full bleed process, a follow-up quick bleeding process helped me. See the official video:

Because only the lever's port gets opened during this process, there are no dangers of introducing new air to the system via the bottom hole.
I used Magura's own bleeding kit with a syringe with a hole at 30 ml mark to achieve so. I do not know whether Park Tool's kit that you have has a matching device or not. If nothing else, you can make it yourself from a regular 30 ml syringe and a needle.
Good luck!


Effectiveness of techniques to improve the performance of rim brakes

You did the right thing by replacing the steel rims. Vintage bikes are nice, but the 70's can keep their steel rims. :-)

As others have said, you should make sure that the entire brake system is properly adjusted.

Since you're dealing with an old bike, I recommend just replacing the brake cable and casing. This can be done for less than 20 dollars. Before inserting the brake cable smear a thin layer of grease on it by running it past your fingers with a dab of grease.

If your levers are in good shape, slather the interior pivot points and cable anchor with grease. If not, then just replace them. Again, that can be done inexpensively-- and you can get "aero brakes" which route the cable under the handlebar wrap (non-aero brakes are another thing the 70's can keep!).

Finally, there is nothing wrong with single pivot brakes. Yes, dual pivot is marginally better because they tend to stay in place (not rub the rim) and you get a barely noticeable increase in leverage. You absolutely will want to replace your brake pads, however. Modern brake pads are sooo much better. I and many others have had success with the koolstop dual compound brakes.


I had a similar trailer clamp it was terrible, I ended up buying a hitch that connects to the axle and removed the clamp. I attached a length of aluminum tubing with some holes drilled in it in place of the clamp. I slip the tube over the axle hitch and then use a hitch pin to keep it all in place. Its on my other bike currently but the hitch looks like this. I find this a way better system than the clamp.


Like the late great Sheldon Brown wrote in his article, I use the front brake alone most of the time.  But there are great reasons to have a rear brake in addition to the front brake:

Slippery pavement (wet weather, etc).  If the front wheel skids, the rider will almost always crash.  The rider can often recover from a rear-wheel skid, so if conditions are slippery, I try to use the rear brake and give myself plenty of time to stop.
Leverage.  When I have my hands on top of the brake hoods, I don't have as much leverage as when I'm grabbing the brake levers from the drops.  When I have to make a sudden emergency stop from the hoods, I can stop better when I use both brakes.
Braking while turning.  If the rider tries to use the front brake while turning sharply, that might cause the front wheel to skid.  Sometimes braking with both brakes is better in a sharp turn.  Also if the rear wheel skids, the rider might be able to recover, or the crash might be more gentle than a crash caused by a front-wheel skid.  I generally try to avoid braking while turning sharply, but sometimes I have no choice, if for instance I want to avoid hitting the child who ran onto the bike path without looking.
Equipment failure.  If there is some problem with the front wheel or the front brake, having a rear brake can be very handy.


High pressure water cleaning and chain lube

I've heard you should keep high pressure water away from your bike, because it can easily work it's way into the bearings, even sealed ones, especially around the bottom bracket and wheels. Pressurized water will push the oil out of the spaces between the chain links, and it's probably not a good idea to use pressurized water at all.  You should be able to sufficiently clean the dirt off your bike with some light water, or, if you want to really thorough, use a chain cleaner.  And you should always relube after cleaning regardless of which cleaning method you use.


What is causing noise/vibration high power input on right hand (drive side) crank?

I've occasionally had this when the drive side axle was slipping in the drop out. When enough torque was applied to the pedals the axle moved just enough that the front of the tyre was rubbing on the inside of the left chain stay.

You could check the paint there and see if there is any evidence of rubbing. If this is the problem, a chain tug would solve it.

Also, how close are your brakes to the rims? Maybe a bit of flex is enough to cause the brake to rub.


What MTB 10 speed double cranksets exist with 180mm cranks?

http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/mountain/new_xtr/component_systems/race.html#drivetrain/0001/FC-M985

Hopefully that links you to the XTR Race crankset. Double and available in 180mm.
Then new XT Dyna-sys cranksets, in triple, will also be available in 180mm.


You have two options:

Using polishing compound WARNING: if this is your first time tinker with carbon fiber composite, I would recommend you to read up carefully, beside from my general guide in here.

a) Use sand paper to lightly sand down the scuff. Make sure you do not sand into the carbon fiber. The sanding would produce black powder if you make this mistake.

b) Apply polishing cream/grease to make the surface shiny, with a cloth.

Advantage: i) stress-free, ii) simple and quick iii) cheap

Disadvantage: i) might require you to re-apply the polishing compound ever 3-6 months.
Using epoxy (cold setting, Bisphenol-A-Diglycidylether + Triethylenetetramine)

Preparation: Epoxy resin and hardener, release film (or alternatively, electrical tape)

a) sand down lightly. Do not sand into the carbon fiber.

b) Tape around the tube for both ends of the fixing area, approximately 1.0 cm away from the sanded area.

c) Apply the epoxy. Do not smear the epoxy yet.

d) Apply release film/electrical tape and use pressure to smear the epoxy over the surface.

Advantage: i) gives a very shiny surface if done correctly, ii) permanent surface

Disadvantage: i) moderately difficult task, ii) expensive and arduous project


how wide 28" can be ? or how to beat mountain trails with 28"

Ok so I presume your tyres are 700x40C. First of all, that pressure sounds high - is it recommended or max pressure? I am sure you could decrease it a fair bit, although if you decrease it excessively you run the risk of pinch puntures.

If you do want to change your tyres, 700c road rims and 29" MTB rims are the same diameter, so you can use, for example, a 29x2.0" tyre - if your rim is a suitable width - see the table at the bottom of this page for recommended rim/tyre width combinations

EDIT: As armb has quite rightly pointed out, you will also need to check for sufficient frame clearance if fitting wider tyres - and remember you'll need to allow some space for mud accumulation if riding off-road


Road bike for a 10 day trip in the Pyrenees and French rivera and other questions

With no training in the mountains it'll be quite painful I suspect regardless of what bike you have.

If it were me I'd just take my road bike with panniers containing a bit of food etc. My Trek 1.5 2011 cost between 500-700 quid and is, in my limited opinion a fantastic bike.

I can't say that's the best solution, but I'd confidently take my trek up those mountains. Might be worth getting with a triple chain ring (3 cogs at the front) otherwise you might really struggle if you've done no training.

Saddle wise you stick with what it comes with and get some decent cycling shorts. Remember to keep back some money for:

Helmet
Cycling shoes/pedals perhaps?
Cycling sunglasses (think rims/easier for seeing)
Lock
Tools including cleaning stuff, pump, spare tubes etc.
Lights
Other things I haven't mentioned.

Good luck!! And get training, that'll make the biggest difference!


This works with firmware 5.0.

From the start screen, click the "folder" icon on the bottom left

Click "Strava Live Segments"

Click the Menu button on the bottom right (the three rows)

Click "Disable all"


At the stage you're at I normally vandalise them out. Get a big flat head screwdriver and use it more like a chisel - wedge the flat under the parts I can see and break them off, trying to break the part that has the thread on it at the same time. Plastic caps usually shatter while I'm doing that and all the bits fall out.

If not I remove the bottom bracket bolt or nut now it's exposed so I have better access, then I get a knife and shave away the plastic until that remaining threaded ring falls apart. With aluminium that will be harder but is usually still doable.

One alternative that I usually try early on is to cut a groove across the ring (parallel to the BB axis) and try using the screwdriver to turn the ring using that.

So far that hasn't failed for me, so I have no idea what to do next. I'd probably use a dremel or a drill to try cutting that ring.

(I've done this quite a lot, I've been a bike mechanic. But 90% of the "stuck" ones shatter when levered open as described, leaving you picking out loose pieces.)


Unidentified "Sigma Mount Compatible" Bike Computer

SIGMA make a connecting pod with USB connection to the PC. It takes the bike computer via twist lock. They have their own data suite for reading and archiving data from the bike computer. You should find it on their website.


What mistake might I have made while truing this wheel?

Wheel truing is an iterative process.  The "chinking" noise is where the spokes cross and they are moving relative to the other one.

I'm guessing you trued the wheel but the spoke tension had not been relieved - and when it did relax, the rim went a little more out of true.

The fix is to stress the wheel sideways somewhat, by:

Gently laying it on the ground and press opposite sides of the rim
Ride it a little
Grab pairs of spokes in your hands and give them a solid squeeze.

...and then to continue with the truing.  You also want to check wobble, vertical displacement, and spoke tension.  Alternate around, working on the worst thing to make it better but not perfect.   There's little point in fixing one area of the rim perfect, then adjusting another bit which puts the first bit out of whack.

Another gotcha with using the brake pads as a truing reference is that the rim may not be consistent width.  A rim that has taken an impact may be bulging or widened, which can put your measurements off.

Truing with the tyre on can also make it harder to get that very last bit out.  For a quick improvement its fine, but to do a really nice wheel you want the tyre/tube off.  Some people will even remove the rim tape.


Which Mountain Style Shifter for Early 90's Shimano 105?

For the rear, any Shimano shifter (for the right number of speeds) will work - the cable for the rear is the same between mountain and road. On the other hand, the front derailleurs have different cable pulls, and you need the flat bar road shifter (one of these). You can get the Sora set for 8 speed assuming your bike has an 8 speed cluster in the back (Shimano ST-R221 for the front , Shimano SL-R440-8 for the back). They are pricey though compared to their mountain brethren, and you only need the front one from that pair - the rear can be an 8 speed Alivio or something, but it wont look as nice (but function fine).

Some alternatives for the front: depending on if you swap in a closer spaced crankset, you may be able to get a mountain FD to shift it and get a mountain set [depending on how the FD is mounted]. Or more simply, buy a friction shifter for the front and an index shifter for the back. A friction shifter is like 5 bucks for a thumb mounted one.

Also, note that the riding position does change when you switch from drops to flats, so I'm assuming you've worked out those details already.


What should I use to lubricate my kickstand?

Grease. You want a lubricant that will stick around. WD40 is a degreaser and is designed to penetrate, lubricate then evaporate. Which is great for removing something that's stuck. But for a kickstand you want it to keep working for a long time. So, grease.


Since you don't hear the noise when the bike is up on the stand, the problem is probably linked to the load of your weight on the bike (trying to formulate this in a way that doesn't sound like I'm saying you're a problem or you're overweight but it's impossible! haha). Sit on the bike, swing on the saddle to simulate the effect of a bump and have someone check if there's anything swinging/bending and touching a part of your wheel.

If you're really desperate and have some time on your hands, remove the luggage rack and go see if you hear that noise. Then re-install it carefully. Actually you might save some time doing this right off the bat.


What tools are required to begin building a frame?

Not so long ago every reasonably sized town in the UK had one or more bike shops that could build a custom frame. I cannot believe this has gone during my lifetime. Anyway, the entry into frame building used to be quite low. You needed a jig, an oxy-acetylene torch, lugs, a frameset and some brass alloyed specially for brazing.

There is a supplier of all of the above in the UK that you may wish to contact:

http://www.henryjames.com/ujig.html

Before investing in the whole kit you may want to have a go at brazing things together with the torch. This is great fun and with relatively simple projects such as repair jobs of non-bicycle things you can pick up experience with the torch.

Most frame-builders of yore bought tubesets with only those able to demonstrate skill being allowed to buy Reynolds 531. An even smaller elite were allowed onto 753 that you need to silver solder instead of the normal bronze brazing. You can start out with the 'gas pipe' hi-ten steel frameset, maybe to make something special such as your own recumbent. Then you can move on as you feel you want to to try the more expensive steel and fillet rather than lug construction.

I have no idea how you make the leap onto 6 and 7 series aluminium welding, but steel is a great material to work with and you will have a lot of fun keeping the lost art of frame building alive.

As for going on a course, what you really need is enthusiasm and someone to show you. You need to be an apprentice of some retired person that has skills in what used to be commonplace.

Entry into the above is really not that expensive when compared to a fancy road bike, you are getting me inspired to give it a go myself!


New hydraulic disc brake has less stopping power than old rim brake—why?

Disc brakes commonly have issues when:

they are not bedded in yet. This is required on new bikes or new pads/disc only. The pads and the disc don't have the optimal contact surface established when out of box; bed-in-process;
they get in contact with lubricating substances. There are many ways to clean them, but mainly alcohol should do it; how-to-clean-disk-brakes;
they contain air mixed in with the brake fluid in the circuit. This is hard to detect and requires a full brake bleed. Generally there are low chances this is the case and even lower that both of your brakes have this issue. Checking if the braking power front-back is close to equal should reveal that.

If the disc is clean and there is no air in the circuit, there is no loss of power and that is the true power of your brakes. Tektro 160mm is a low end brake so that wouldn't be a surprise. A workaround is to try a bigger disk if the fork/frame allows.


Headset fully tightened, but fork still loose and wobbly

The wobbling could come from the fork. This is easy to check by putting a finger between two parts of the headset (as you can see here, around 0:35 ). If you brake and feel movement, problem is for sure on the headset.

If you do, is the headset the correct size, BOTH for the frame and for the tube? And are they in good shape? These parts have low tolerances because they have to fit the frame and the fork tube very tightly, and different manufacturers have slight different dimensions.

If you can, go to your usual shop and ask them to test with another one headset.

Good luck. And until you fix it, please don't ride that bike.


How to make a DIY tow bar for a collapsible cargo wagon

Years ago I made a side car for my BMX bike. The side car clamped to the bike at three points with a rigid connection. Three wheel skids were cool.
Not the same thing as pulling a wagon but that's all I have :)

As Ced commented, it would be good to have a picture of the wagon you want to tow.

The first place I go to get ideas is Google images for bicycle tow bar.

I was surprised at how many results there were.

Here are some options I saw for connecting a tow bar to a bicycle

Seat post (this is the easiest to make and install - if it works)
Chain stays (solid, low center of gravity connection)
Fender mounting point(s) (seems like a lot of stress on a fender mount)
Axle (bolting to a solid axle, if the axle is long enough might be OK. I may be over cautious but using a quick release skewer makes me nervous)

After looking at the options (more detailed descriptions below) here's what I'd do:
For very little money make a prototype similar to The Dumb Stick (linked below).

Buy a three foot long two inch diameter PVC pipe
Drill a hole in one end large enough for your seat tube
Drill a hole in the other end for an eye bolt with a carabiner
Install the tow bar, hook up your wagon and experiment

My biggest concern is with stopping, especially if you are going down hill. Start small and work your way up.

If the seat post connection fails my fall back would be a chain stay connection.
I had a child trailer with a chain stay clamping system that worked OK. Pulling 50 pounds of kids is a lot of work and put a lot of stress on brakes.

Seat Post
The Dumb Stick (not an endorsement, just as an example)

Is it just me or is his seat too low?

Something like this would be easy enough to make. I'd go with steel or aluminum over "poly" if this solution went past the prototype stage.

Thoughts:

At rest all the weight would be resting on the wagon wheels (assuming it has four wheels, or even three). It's important that the tow bar only have horizontal stress, not vertical.
I get how something like the Dumb Stick pulls a kayak or wagon.
But what happens when it stops? Won't the wagon want to keep going and make the stick swing out to the right or left?
I found a video of a guy who built something like the Dumb Stick and pulled his kayak around Florida. The video was painful to watch (it was too long and badly shot) but the tow bar seemed to work fine. He didn't go very fast and the roads were very, very flat.

Many of the images that come up in search look a lot like the Dumb Stick. There seems to be a lot of kayak and canoe towing going on.

Chain Stay
Another option for attaching a tow bar is to connect to the non chain side of the chain stay. This is a more complicated method of attaching to the bicycle because it will require some kind of firm yet flexible attachment.

They are clamping to the frame and the axle. Some rigs only clamp to the frame. This looks solid but I hate clamping things to my frame.

Fender Mounting Point
Some DIYers attach the tow bar to a fender mounting point. I'm very uncomfortable with this option. I don't think bicycle fender mounting points are designed to handle the kind of stress we are talking about.

Rear Axle
Another option I see out there is to attach a hitch to the rear axle.

Call me paranoid but I would not do this to my bike.
Think this wheel should have a few more spokes to pull a load?

I'm looking forward to seeing other suggestions.


How much air pressure for dt swiss m3 shock

The usual way to do this is to use the sag as a guide. The geometry of your frame will affect the load on the shock and the pressure you need.

To do this, put a zip-tie around the shaft of your shock*, or use the little rubber band if it has one and push it down against the seal. Next get dressed for riding and gently sit on your bike.

When you get off you'll be able to measure how for the shock moved under your weight. This is your sag.

Most people recommend between 10 and 20 percent of the total travel for sag.

* Not too tight, you don't want to damage the seal.


I think probably a Shimano Tourney top-pull derailleur that can accommodate the chainring sizes you have will work. You can see the basic specifications here to help pick out the correct model.

Front derailleurs are very basic mechanically and don't 'stop working' unless they actually physically break. It's possible you simply have the derailleur badly adjusted, or there is something wrong with the cable or housing.

Inspect the cable run from the shifter to the derailleur and make sure the housing is properly in the shifter body and all frame stops.

Disconnect the cable, tension the cable manually and work the shifter. Check the cable pull in and let out smoothly and does not hang up in the housing.

Verify the derailleur will swing from the smallest to largest chainring (it helps if you can pop the chain out of the cage).

If all that checks out, follow a front derailleur adjustment procedure. Park Tool has a good page and video with step-by-step guidance.


Left outside for over a year, what to do to get it ride-worthy?

A little tricky.  It is hard to guess how bad the bike is -- I've seen some left out that long (in Minnesota) with only a scattering of cosmetic rust, others that were pretty well trashed.

First thing to do is to clean it off.  Get a nylon scrub brush or a non-abrasive "scrubbie" and a bucket of soapy water and work it over pretty well.  Rinse well with a hose, but DO NOT SPRAY HIGH-PRESSURE WATER AT THE HUBS OR OTHER BEARINGS!

Next, get an old toothbrush and some WD-40 (yes, people will scream that's a no-no, but ignore them) and clean the chain and derailers (if it has derailers).  Take care to keep the solvent off the tires when you do this.  (I like to lay a section of newspaper against the wheel, tucked behind the derailer.)  Then oil the chain and derailers well, wipe with a cloth and oil again.  And wipe again.  (It's best to use some chain oil from a bike shop, but regular 3-in-1 or some such will do for starters.)

Now check the bearings.  Spin the wheels and see if they seem to spin freely and smoothly.  Turn the crank with your hand and feel for any roughness as it turns.  Sit astride the bike and turn the handlebars, feeling for any roughness in the "headset" that the fork pivots on.

If the bearings seem to check out, give it a test ride.  (If not they will need to be disassembled and rebuilt.)  Check the brakes, and shifters, if it's a multi-speed.  To test the brakes, one should do several stops at various speeds and in various conditions, including a few panic stops.

Here you're very likely to discover that the shift and brake cables have rusted up -- the most likely problem.  There are a few ways to deal with this, the most obvious being simply replacing the problematic cables.  Short of that you can try to work the cables free, then work some sort of lubricant into them.  A trick I like to use is to somehow dribble "oxalic acid" (available from paint stores as a cleaner) into the cables.  This actually dissolves rust.  (Oxalic acid is also useful for removing cosmetic rust on handlebars, et al.)

After this, you could consider repacking the bearings, but that depends on how much you really like this girlfriend. ;)


Recommended brands for full-day rides and short multi-day tours

Specific product recommendations are off topic here, but the answer to your general question is yes, it's fine to look beyond the biggest bicycle producers (Trek Specialized, Giant, Cannondale etc.)

Surly and Salsa are two brands that offer touring oriented frames that come to mind. (Note, I offer these as examples, not recommendations).


Do I need to remove & service integrated headset bearings when replacing fork?

If your headset bearings are cartridge - in a sealed unit as opposed to exposed ball bearings held loosely in a cage. The cleaning and re-greasing of the bearings  does not apply to you.

Although it is also known for some people to remove the seal over their sealed cartridge bearings - to clean and re-grease and then pop the seal back over them.

But generally - you don't need to do this.


new rear wheel: buy parts separately, or get from cheap bike?

First, note that if you're using indexed shifters that you need to match the number of cogs on the cassette to the shifters.

Cheap wheels are normally not worth the money -- you'll have trouble keeping them true or from failing, especially in a difficult situation like mountain biking.

On freewheels and cassette installation, I'd suggest reading this link from Park Tool.

Freewheels are used on cheaper wheels, and are only really good for <=7 speed systems. They do sell a few 8 speed freewheels, but they were essentially phased out due to axle breakage. To install a freewheel, you simply need to have some grease on the threads of the freewheel and screw on the freewheel to the hub by hand. Riding gently for a few miles will tighten the freewheel all it needs to be. To remove the freewheel, you need a freewheel remover tool (compatible with the freewheel being removed) and a large crescent wrench to turn it (or better yet, a bench vise).

For a freehub system (which uses cassettes), which is used on better 7+ speed wheels (and all 9+ speed wheels), you need the cassette tool (compatible with the cassette you're going to use) and chainwhip and a large crescent wrench to turn the tool for removing the cassette. To install it, you do not need the chainwhip.

Also, if you don't own a chain tool, you'll need one to install the chain (or at least shorten it appropriately).

My recommendation is that you look for a used wheel or a cheap wheel from your local bike shop. The parts you've selected won't work together, since cassettes only go on compatible freehubs whereas the wheel you've selected is designed for freewheels (and you've selected a freewheel). That will be a much better use of 75 dollars.

As for out of the two options you've given (not recommended), if your bike is 7 speed or less, I'd be marginally more inclined to buy the wheel and a freewheel and a small container of grease (multipurpose grease like the stuff they use for cars will work fine). If its 8 speed, and you're really on a budget, you can use an 8 speed freewheel. Otherwise, you're going to have to go with a cassette wheel, and that you have to go to the bike shop or find a wheel with a freehub. But I'd really recommend using a bike shop or spending a bit more money on a wheel, since fixing low quality wheels is not cheap at the shop (which you'd likely have to learn or pay the shop to do with such a cheap wheel), and wheel failure is not fun.


How are the categories for climbs decided?

As noted above, part of the ranking of a climb depends on its placement within a stage: usually, the ending climb of a stage gets "bumped up" by a category. You can see that in the plots below, which show climbs as categorized by the organizers of the Tour de France itself for the 2012, 2007, 2005, and 2004 editions of the Tour, and plotted by the length of the climb and its average gradient. If given the length of the climb and gradient, you can calculate the total elevation change for that climb, and the dotted contour lines in each plot show that. Cat 2, 1, and HC climbs are named. For example, in 2004 the Vilard de Lans climb was classified at a Cat 2 climb rather than (evidently) a Cat 3 because it was the end of the stage. Similarly, in 2005 the climb to Pla d'Adet ended the stage, and it appears that its category was also increased from (arguably) Cat 1 to HC.

As an aside, the Madeleine was climbed in both 2004 and 2005 but, as you can see, the length and gradient of the climbs were different in those years. In 2004, the Madeleine was climbed from the southern side; in 2005 and 2012, the approach to the Madeleine was from the north.


I ride behind: she sets the pace, concentrates on the road ahead. Being behind I can watch, control the distance between us, speak advice, and manage (i.e. observe and give hand signals to) any vehicles approaching us from behind.

Edit: I just found a quote on the front page of The VEHICULAR CYCLIST (December 2011)

  "I’ve taken three cycling courses since becoming a community officer with the Ottawa Police Service and am on schedule to become a cycling instructor this fall. At the end of every course, I’m absolutely amazed at all the bad habits that I had taught myself throughout the years, ...".

http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/safety/index.htm mentions "CAN-BIKE" courses. One idea might be to take that kind of lesson: I'd at least see how they teach it.


I have a bike with a ratio of 3.11 to 1, how many links do i need in a chain?

There isn't enough information to determine the chain length from what is given.

You can read one of the many good articles on how to size a chain on the internet. The chain length depends on the chainring number of teeth, cog number of teeth, chainstay length.


Feet on the pedals, hands on the handle bars, one or two fingers on your brake levers would be a base position.

If you're doing something technical, then bum off the seat or at least unweighted, with pedals fore-and-aft.  Doesn't matter which pedal leads, but it'll probably be your primary side, right foot for those who are right handed.

Pedaling when you are able to helps maintain momentum.  Pedaling on a downhill may feel redundant but it gets you up to speed faster.

On a long climb sit forward in the saddle and lean forward to keep your center of mass forward.  If it gets too steep and the front wheel starts lifting on the downstroke, stand up and lean forwards.  You can get your stem right up close to your crotch and still pedal uphill.

For downhill you want the opposite, to have your weight back.  The skilled and truly insane drop their seats and can essentially put their arse on the rear tyre while riding.  This reduces the chance of doing an end over end, over the handlebars should the front wheel drop into a hole.

Cornering - There are plenty of different opinions on cornering technique, as per comments below.

Cornering depends a lot on the surface.  If its hardpack treat it like a road and lean in, raising the inside pedal and pushing down on the outside one.  If the surface is looser you should unweight the front wheel by leaning back a little through the corner.  Lean the bike a bit more to get the knobbly shoulder bumps of the tyre biting the ground surface.  The rider should not lean as much as the bike leans.

That's a start, I'm sure the offroaders here can expand on points.

On hindsight this answer is somewhat facetious, so please use comments to clarify.


Can I lace a XTR rear hub with thirty two spokes from a Valiant asymmetrical rim to a thirty two hole Magic regular rim?

Yes. The hub doesn't really care whether its spokes are laced to an asymmetric rim or not.

However, you may not be able to reuse the spokes--regardless of whether you're switching between an asymmetric rim and a "straight" rim, the spoke lengths may well not be close enough because of different rim depths. You'll need to check a spoke-length calculator.


V-brake caliper arm not retracting after hard braking

It looks like there's dirt in the hinge. When you brake hard, the arm reaches the dirty region and sticks there, and the spring can't force it back; when you brake more gently, it doesn't get into the sticky region. Detach that arm, clean it and re-lubricate it.


The first thing to check is if your wheel is slightly misaligned in the dropouts. Disk brake tolerances are pretty small. From the web it looks like the front wheel has a quick release. Try untightening the wheel and reseating it in the dropouts.
If that doesn't fix the grinding noise, you should check if the pads have adjusted too far in or the brake rotor is slightly bent.

What can happen is that the brake lever was pressed in while the wheel was removed and the brake pads have auto-adjusted too far in. Generally, people put a special spacer in the brake when the wheel is removed to avoid this problem. The fix for this is pretty easy, use a soft plastic tool ( tire levers are good for this ) to slightly push each brake pad back until the inserted wheel rotates freely. Then pump the brakes hard several times to "reset" the auto adjust back to where it should be.

Lastly, the disk rotors might have gotten slightly bent during transport. ( dropping a wheel and having it land rotor side down is common.)

Pick front of the bike up and spin the wheel, watch the rotor in the brake an see if there are significant wobbles. Truing a disk rotor isn't the easiest task for a novice bike mechanic, but a good shop should help you with this for a newly purchased bike.


Require a star tool to remove disc rotor

You want the correctly sized Torx driver. When I had to swap to a new wheel set I used a T25 driver.

I just found a Park Tool TWS-2 that has 9 different sizes. You can probably find just a T25 driver at a hardware store.


Yep, "raw" aluminum develops a layer of corrosion fairly rapidly.  Thankfully, unlike with iron/steel, the corrosion is "tight" and eventually develops to a thickness where additional corrosion is prevented (in normal circumstances).

The corrosion can be prevented by either coating the aluminum with a lacquer-like coating or "anodizing" it.  Anodizing is a process where the aluminum is dipped in an electrolyte solution and a current is run through it, to develop a layer of "super corrosion" that is smooth and fairly hard/scratch resistant.

I'm guessing the bike was lacquered and the coating is breaking down.  Once one little spot of breakdown appears, the corrosion below will push up the adjacent areas, creating a growing spot that turns into the "worms" you see.  There is no structural problem as a result of this -- it's purely cosmetic.

The thing to be concerned about would be if there were any spots (particularly around the joints) where a salt-like crust was forming.  This would indicate that the aluminum is "crystalizing" in the weld, and fractures, if not already present, are imminent.


Having one wheel set with 6 bolts rotors and one with center locks?

This is perfectly fine. I have a similar situation with my gravel/rain bike. I'm lucky enough that the rotors on the two completely different hub brands match up well enough to not require shims or adjustment. You may want to purchase some shims in case the the rotors on the two wheelsets need to be aligned.


Mountain bike shorts are ideal for commuting. If they fit, are comfortable and you like the look of them, you won't find a better commute short.  If you a fast rider, over 11km the extra drag of baggies will cost you a few seconds over a lycra skin suit.
However, if you are riding a road bike, you are breaking Rule #18 :)


How to protect brake cable that runs beneath top tube while hanging bike on rack

Personally I wouldn't worry about it.

One solution is to use pool noodles over the rack's supports where they touch the bike.   Pool noodles are cheap and flexible and can be cut with a sharp knife.  Once in place you can bind them down with tape or old inner tubes.

Also, just a layer of old inner tube wrapped around the rack will be sufficient protection too.

Consider the tension you add to the brake inner cable while braking, its a lot more than the weight of the bike would cause.

The images in your question show a spiral which is for either wrapping two cable outers together, or for protecting a frame from rub.  The black things are longer versions of the mini-doughnuts some bikes wear on their exposed inner cables.  Neither will really do much for you, unless the bike rests on a black long-doughnut, but it could encourage sideways roll, and the bike to wobble more.

If your bike allows it, perhaps a rack adapter like this:

Personally I just ride the bike rather than carry it.  The very few times it goes in my car, tends to ride inside.


How do I properly install pads into a Shimano BR-M365 disk brake caliper?

Just because you let your pads get too far worn down does not mean you are automatically going to screw up replacing them.

Hydraulic disc brake pad replacement is reasonably simple:

Check you have the correct pads for the calipers.
Look up Shimano's installation instructions. I just googled 'shimano BR-M365' and found the product page. Pad installation instructions are in the dealer manual found on that page.
YouTube is replete with bike maintenance videos. Park Tool has a excellent channel, Global Cycling Network has some good maintenance videos, here is their hydraulic pad replacement one.
The big 'don't' is do not pull the brake lever when the disc is not in the caliper, and especially don't do it when the pads are removed. The pistons will be pushed out to far and do not retract. They can be pushed back in to the caliper (you have to do this when installing the new pads), but over extending the pistons with no pads in the caliper can result in fluid leakage.


Are reflectors mandatory by the UK highway code?

There is a good "common language" guide to the bike specific regulations in the Highway Code here.

The relevant paragraph reads:

  At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).

So, while I am not a barrister, nor a UK citizen, the answer appears to be that you have to have a rear reflector somewhere. However, there may be some wiggle room since the law specifies at night.  It seems unlikely that if you only ride during the day that you will run into a problem if you remove it.

Most jurisdictions in the US and other countries have similar laws.  While safety experts generally agree that a rear light is much more effective (and UK law seems to recognize this by requiring not only the light, but that it be lit), you can usually get away with a rear light that is also made out of red or amber reflective material.


Prevent wheel bearing from coming loose due to disk braking lateral force

This isn't making sense.

The cone holds the balls in  place.

The locknuts (not shown) keep the cones in place.

The grease seal has no effect on the tightness of the bearing.

If your cone is moving, you have not tightened the locknut against the cone (or it has been omitted).

You need a cone spanner (thin spanner) and a second spanner, to tighten the locknut hard against the cone.

It is a bit tricky to tighten cones - or more accurately, you will find yourself having to redo it a few times to get it correct. Correct is when there is a tiny amount of play, that disappears when the quick-release is tightened. Check for play after a few days, and readjust if needed.


Air transport of a MTB with hydraulic brakes

Tires on planes are a problem because they are pressurized above sea level atmospheric pressure. The pressure on a commercial airliner drops below that at sea level, so the pressure difference increases which can exceed the pressure the tire can handle.

Hydraulic brake fluid is not pressurized above sea level atmospheric pressure and the brake system is designed to withstand high internal pressure when the levers are squeezed anyway.


How do I use the trim function correctly on Shimano shifters

H: To be used with the smaller cogs of the cassette.

HT: To be used with the larger cogs of the cassette. You might hear a rubbing noise  of the chain on the inner blade of the front derailleur if there's a large cog in use at the rear and the front is still on H.

L: You'll use it when the chain is on one of the larger rear cogs.

LT: For when the chain begins rubbing on the FD when you shift on one of the smaller rear cogs.

On a safe flat road put the chain on the smallest cog, the biggest ring and start shifting the rear derailleur towards larger cogs. Look down on the FD and not the behaviour of the chain between the two blades of the FD. At one point, you'll notice the chain touching the FD. That's the point where you trim the FD.

Note: when you shift at the front, the derailleur will go to L or H. Depending on the situation at the rear, you'll have to trim at the front right after the chain has fallen on the small front ring or climbed on the big ring.


You have a Mk2 Brompton which uses a slightly shorter pump. I think your pump might be a Mk2 also. Does it physically fit within the frame? (the handle goes towards the axle).

The bit you are missing is the adapter bolt for holding the Zefal pump. This goes into the seatpost-end pump bracket and slots into the hole on the nozzle end of your pump. You could maybe improvise something with parts from a hardware store.

You could also try to get hold of a Bluemels pump, which is what the mounts were originally designed for, although these are now incredibly rare.

Much more info about Brompton pumps can be found in this Facebook post.


Would an original Abloy padlock and [toughened] chain make a good bike lock?

10 seconds with boltcutters- either on the chain or on the padlock, and the thief will have stolen your bike. There are reasons why bike locks are designed the way they are- to stop/prevent this from happening.


Does riding a cyclo cross bike carry a large aerodynamic penalty when compared to a road bike?

On a cyclocross your CD (drag coefficient is not much different).
You are the same basic shape.

It is a little taller so you have a bit more more frontal area

Are you sure you are the same weight and power? Would any of them be willing to swap bikes and test.

I get dropped on rides on my street CX but it is because I am just not as strong.

Based on your comment I think you are confusing CD with area
Drag = CD x Area x Velocity x Velocity

If you are getting dropped while drafting as a team (they are not trying to drop you) you cannot blame that on aerodynamics.
The guy(s) in the front have more more drag than you even if you are sitting a little taller.
If you are getting dropped you are not helping the team.  Take a shorter turn when you are in front.  Try and line up behind the next tallest rider.


Fox Float RP2 shock tuning (rebound, compression/velocity, boost valve)

The guy from the "maintenance" company is kinda right, kinda not. Talking to an expert (like PUSH) would be where to go to find out what changes work with your particular bike.


What is a narrow wide chainring and what are its benefits and drawbacks?

Modern chains have inner and outer links.  On a conventional chainring, all of the teeth are the same width, and therefore have to be narrow enough to fit into the chain's inner links.  This means that there's enough space for the chain to move about a bit from side to side on the chainring, which can cause it to fall off.
Historically this hasn't been much of a problem, since on geared bikes the front derailleur cage tends to stop it from falling off, and on single-speed bikes there's no chain slack or gear changing at the rear to cause chain-drop.
However, when you remove the front derailleur, but keep the rear derailleur (as is becoming common with single-ring setups), dropping the chain becomes more of a problem.  This can happen when changing gear on the cassette, or when a bump causes the chain to go slack momentarily.
Narrow-wide chainrings have alternating narrow and wide teeth that fit into the inner and outer links respectively.  This makes the chain more secure on the chainring and less likely to fall off.

A narrow-wide ring is only necessary if you have a single chainring at the front and a rear derailleur.  They won't work at all if you have more than one chainring at the front, since you won't be able to change gear.  You don't need a special cassette, but you might benefit from using a clutched rear derailleur (particularly on a MTB), which prevents the chain from going slack on bumpy terrain.
A well-established alternative to a narrow-wide ring is a chain guide, which behaves somewhat like a front derailleur in keeping the chain from falling off:


Either the rear wheel or the crank bearings are binding at some point in their revolution, or (or possibly there's something going on with the chain). The first thing to do is track down where the problem is.
Check first for obvious stuff, like is the rear wheel out of true and rubbing the brake blocks?
The next easiest thing to do first is take the rear wheel out, remove the quick release skewer and check the bearings. Turn the axle with you fingers, does the axle have a tight spot, do you feel excessive resistance or 'notchiness'? Push and pull the axle about to check for play, if you can feel the axle moving more than a tiny bit there is excessive play.
If the wheel bearings are is OK, check the crank. Most front derailleur cages have a small screw that allow them to be opened and the chain removed. Get the chain out of the cage and off the chainrings (it's awkward but possible). Spin the cranks by hand, again checking for a tight spot, excessive resistance, 'notchiness' and play.
The wheel is the problem fixing it depends on the type of bearings. Some hubs have 'serviceable' bearings that can be disassembled, some have pressed in cartridge bearings. If the crank is the issue, a new bottom bracket is required.


11 speed chain rings will be slightly narrower than 9 speed. So they will work, but it's not an ideal pairing. You should be able to keep your rear wheel and replace the 9 speed cassette with an 11. The dropout width hasn't changes, the gears have just got thinner.

Not sure what you mean by front derailleur having 3 positions. It swings through a fixed distance, it is the shifter that determines if there are 2 or 3 indexed points to stop at. A 3 speed shifter isn't going to work well with a 2 speed chain ring. But you try adjusting the lower limit screw to stop the chain dropping.


compatibilty of 10 speed dura ace bar end shifters and xt 10speed rear derailleur

Your bar-end 10s-shifters must have the same index (cable-pull ratio per shift) as the normal STI 10s-levers: 2.3mm. That leads to the incompatibility with the MTB 10s-derailleur, which is build for the 3.4mm cable pull of Shimanos 10s MTB shifters. Using a 9s-derailleur, which requires 2.5mm cable-pull, brings you close to the index of your 10s-shifters, so that kinda works. Adjust it to align perfectly with the middle gear and the outer ones wont't be too far off. (ref: artscyclery)

If you want to use your 10s-MTB-derailleur (probably for the shadow+ capability?) with your 10s-RR-shifter, you'll need to change the derailleurs cable-pull ratio. You can do that either by re-routing the cable through a small hole in the derailleurs lever (ref: mtb-news.de and in english pinkbike). Or by using a special excenter-pulley (ref: Jtek ShiftMate) which translates the cable pull-ratio to the needed 2.3mm.


The width of Profile Design Tri Stryke saddle (with cutout)?

Assuming you mean the width at its widest point, 122mm as best I can measure.


My stable contains two folding bikes, and I love them both. I use them for different purposes. If this is going to be your only bike and you want to use that bike for cargo (with racks, etc), I recommend against using a folding bike unless it's one with larger wheels.

Disadvantages of folders:

For offroad riding, nothing beats a standard rigid-frame mountain bike. If you forsee a decent amount of offroad riding, I strongly recommend against getting any folding bike.
Coasting on a folding bike isn't quite as easy, due to the diminished momentum of the smaller wheels. This is a very minor point, though.
Getting parts for a folding bike can sometimes be a little more difficult. A little planning can alleviate this, as can keeping spare tubes, spokes, etc around the house.
Mounting panniers on a folder's rear rack tends to result in heelstrike, unless you have a folder with a very long wheelbase that's meant for touring. If you want to use this bike for shopping, that's a point against folders.
Folding bikes are more expensive, and can be heavier, then their non-folding counterparts.
Folders usually have a weight limit. The wheels are usually smaller and therefore sturdier than larger wheels, but the frame is a limiting factor. For example, the Dahon Curve has a rider limit of 100kg/220lbs. (When I bought mine, that was an across-the-board limitation, but they may have improved that.) So if you're a big guy, look into this.

Advantages of folders:

Storage is easier, obviously. A plus in small apartments. It's also simpler to put the bike in a car trunk or back seat, or take it on public transportation.
You can accelerate crazy fast on a folding bike, for the same reason you have to put a little more effort into coasting - the wheels are smaller and therefore lighter.
Small wheels are fun! Folding bikes can be more nimble than bikes with full-sized wheels.

I love folding bikes, but unless you have no other options, a small-wheeled folding bike wouldn't be a good fit for your purposes. A folding bike with 26" or even 20" wheels, however, might work very well if you can fit it with a rear rack. Try one out in a store and see how it feels and if you can carry cargo easily.


Turns out i needed race style nuts. The kind of nuts that have a flared end thats independent of the rest of the nut.