If you mean literally the pictured racks, then generally speaking no, or at least not well, unless by chance. The racks in the picture both have non-adjustable upper stays; they're made in specific dimensions to fit and be level on a specific bike, whereas bikes as a whole have rack attachment points spanning all sorts of different dimensions. Racks that come with bikes, especially older ones, are often like this. To get something that you know or at least strongly suspect will work, you should get a normal aftermarket rack with adjustable stays, which you can probably still find used if you look.


Can you use Shimano 11 speed chain pins on a 10 speed chain?

My understanding is that the chain pins for Shimano 10-speed chains are 6.0mm in length and the pins for the 11-speed chains are 5.8mm in length. That is pretty close, but I wouldn't chance it. I also don't know for sure if the pin diameter is the same and I don't have an 11-speed pin to measure.

A simple google search turns up many places where you can purchase the 10-speed pins. Even better - I have to believe that nearly every local bike shop in your area would carry 10-speed compatible pins.


does my degreaser hang around and destroy my new chain lube?

It's certainly possible that degreaser is staying around and breaking down the lube. I use a citrus degreaser (green label but I don't remember the name), and I've never had issues scrubbing it off the chain or cassettes. Also make sure you use a rag to wipe the chain down before you apply the lube.


The first free service is usually just to account for "bedding-in" from new. They originally build up and tune the bike with all new components, but as you ride it for a few months, it's common for cables to bed in a little more snugly to their fittings as well as for bearings to push into the frame a little more, requiring the components on either side to be tightened up. The bolts on the bike may be a little loose from all of this, so it's always a good idea to get it fully checked over once it's been ridden for a while.

After 1000 km, it would be checked over for all of that as well as for the general wear and tear. Components requiring cleaning and lubricration will be inspected along with any bearings. Depending on motor position, ebikes might wear out a drivetrain more quickly or require wheels to be trued more often. If you know how to clean and lubricate your bike and measure the chain wear, it's unlikely to need such regular maintenance, but the recommendations tend to be based on the worst case scenario. Someone who rides in all weather, locking it up outside during the day and just puts the bike back in the garage every evening without cleaning it can extensive maintenance within 1000 km.

To minimise maintenance required, there are some basic things to do at home. If the bike gets dirty, clean it off, taking care not to leave it soaking wet for a long time afterwards. Regularly (every 300km or so) degrease and relubricate your chain and pump up your tyres to the correct pressure. An honest bike shop will usually take a look at a bike to tell you whether any more work is required at the time. Unfortunately it can be hard to know how honest your shop is of you aren't an expert, so you should ask your friends for their opinions on the local shops


What is the usual pattern of use of a velodrome (cycling track)?

Velodromes are not a suitable cycling venue for members of the general public. They require specialized equipment (e.g., higher bottom brackets to avoid pedal strikes), training (e.g., no moving up/down track without ensuring you have room, maintaining enough speed in corners), and discipline.

Expecting untrained riders and/or unsupervised novices to ride on the track is practically begging for crashes, injuries, and lawsuits.

As an example of restrictions on use of public velodromes, the Dick Lane Velodrome in East Point, Georgia was built as a public venue. Control over operations was granted to a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the East Point Velodrome Association. It is operated as a sporting venue. Members of the public are allowed to ride on the velodrome during unscheduled hours provided they have signed a release waiver, are accompanied by at least one other person, and have completed a weekend-long training course. Track bicycles are required, with the single exception of pursuit-style events, where riders may (but for all intents and purposes never do) ride a standard road bicycle.

Cheaper and more appropriate for your purposes would be to petition the city to build a circuit. Essentially, just a mile-or-so long, limited-access, paved bicycle path that loops back onto itself. No banking necessary, and bike paths are cheap and fast to build. You're not constrained to a flat oval, and turns need not be sharp enough to require banking for fast riders.


Carrying a child and balance bike on my bike

My daughter still goes in a Hamax siesta at nearly 3. It's seatpost mounted and we swap it between bikes. The seat is rated to 22kg (which from the growth charts should take 99% of children up to age 4 and 75% to 5½. We're anticipating being able to use it when she starts school. You don't need to include the weight of the balance bike as that wouldn't be carried on the toddler seat.

The rack-mounted seats don't have a much higher limit - in fact then the limit is usually the rack itself, which has to carry the weight of the seat and the balance bike for you.  So you may actually find a lower weight limit overall despite a higher child weight limit.

But on both bikes we have a rack underneath.

I haven't tried carrying her balance bike at the same time yet - she's not yet into going very far on it. But putting the balance bike vertically, with the handlebars at the top rear resting on the rack, and strapping the balance bike frame to the rack should work (at least on 700C/29er etc.).

I managed to get some quick pictures (I didn't even have time to arrange everything somewhere less cluttered so sorry about the quality).  I wasn't quite how I envisaged:

Note that the balance bike isn't strapped down at the moment -- it would need to be.  A strap attaching the fork/steerer tube of the balance bike to the rack crossbar, and another attaching the downtube to the diagonal strut of the rack against which it's almost resting should be secure.  You may want some padding e.g. blocks of foam. I like the fact that the strap wouldn't be taking the weight, just holding it steady.  I also didn't have time to test ride it, but heel strike shouldn't be an issue given where my pannier comes to.  The rear wheel was probably 15-20cm off the ground, and a bit further out than a pedal - watch for kerbs.

A few notes about my setup that may affect this:

I've set the seat slightly higher than recommended so I can still use the rack for a pannier.
The rack is quite narrow (Tortec velocity hybrid) to fit under the seat properly (I had to take my Topeak super tourist DX off as it didn't fit.

One note of caution:  This much load this far back affects the handling quite a bit.  I built a rack extension when mine was younger and there were times when the front wheel had very little grip.  I solved it by shifting weight forwards (D lock on the forks, handlebar bag for all the stuff you have to carry with a child etc.


Moisture may have collected on the friction surfaces and frozen.

Warm the bike up and re-test.


one side of brake pad retention problem (i.e. attached to rim)

If it's v-brake you should have screws regulating spring tension on each brake arm, try to screw in a little bit one on the side where pads stays attached to the rim.


What is the correct way to put a helmet on?

The manual pretty much sums it up. The helmet should sit naturally at the correct place without the straps. The straps are only there to hold it in place in a prang, when a bit of chaffing / bruising  is the least of your problems.  A small amount of slack (you should be able to fit two - three fingers between the strap and you) is best. If the straps are pulling the helmet out of position, loosen them.

Be aware that not all of us have the same sized and shaped heads, so it is possible your helmet is just not a good fit.

Note also the bike helmet only protects against brain injury. Theres plenty of scope for a large amount of pain and cosmetic damage - think what a face plant at 30mph would do, and still scope for massive brain injury with a properly fitting helmet.

Its a reasonable argument that wearing a helmet provide a false sense of security - essentially if you would not do it without a helmet, don't do it.

Your helmet is a very last resort -  a "get out of jail" card that only works sometimes. Worth wearing? - I have a mate with a brain injury (non cycling) ... need I say more.....


You may need to clean up your terminology to make the question more clear.  There are two common setups a freewheel OR a freehub and cassette.  The answer will vary greatly depending on which setup you have.  If you have a freewheel both items (gears and free mechanism) are one item and essentially you should just replace the freewheel and you would be done.

If you have a freehub (free mechanism is built into the hub which is more common/modern) you will need to determine if the issue is the hub or cassette and replace accordingly.

If you do have a freehub|cassette setup, I would lean (based on your description) to having a damaged freehub which you have likely damaged more by continuing to ride (based on your increasingly description).  Depending on the price of your wheel, you may choose to replace the whole wheel, rebuild the wheel with a new hub, or find a way to fix the freehub (possible if the hub body itself is not damaged AND it is an expensive hub).


Convert Cannondale CAAD9 to a hybrid style...?

Yes, there are no issues with doing this beyond economy and ensuring you use the right controls. You must use flatbar road shifters that match the actuation ratios and gear numbers the rest of your drivetrain needs, but Shimano, SRAM, and Campy have made them for all their mechanical systems for a long time now. (For the electronic groups, EPS has no options, with eTap you can do it with Blips, and with di2 you can just mix and match mountain and road.)

The full conversation of what compatibility differences exist between flatbar road and other flatbar controls across all group and speed generations has become fairly convoluted. Importantly, front derailer actuation ratios have always been different between road and mountain for both Shimano and SRAM. Pre-ten-speed Shimano mountain rear derailers and right shifters use the same actuation ratio that Shimano road has always used (except for 8-speed Dura Ace), but Shimano mountain split off into its own compatibilities completely starting with ten speed.

For the brake levers, you have to get ones that match the cable pull your brakes want. For caliper brakes that means no linear pull (V-brake) levers, and if the brake uses Shimano's Super SLR pull ratio then the new lever should too (the simple clue here if the bike was stock is whether the old STI had under-tape shift cable routing).


App to use Mobile phone (samsung S4 mini) as bicycle computer

This is possible.

Firstly, it depends on your idea of "old"   For some users thats any phone over five minutes is old, and for others old means a flip phone from the 90s.

Assuming you have an android-based or ios-based phone that works and has a decent battery life then you're pretty much set.  Both will run the Strava application, which looks something like this:

As @dancek says, the home screen is not configurable, so you will only see average speed for the whole ride, and instant heart rate/cadence rate if you have the sensors.   Time and Distance are counters

This is the screen that shows up when you stop.  The map with track at the top can be displayed full-screen while riding, and if you have planned a route the track is overlaid on the map as well.

Later analysis can be done on the info - here's the link for that ride:
https://www.strava.com/activities/681005599/analysis
Note I had a HRM but no cadence sensor.

This is the RUN view if you're into that kinda sport.

If you have an applewatch there's a thing for that, but I have no experience of this.   It looks like this:

Both of those screenshots show heartrate.   A phone can't do that alone - you need a heartrate sensor.  Phones with ANT+ radios are better than bluetooth sensors because the batteries last for 4-6 months, whereas bluetooth sensors are a much shorter runtime.   Also note, that phones with a "pulse meter" are useless for this purpose.

There are ant+ cadence sensors too - often a little box that straps onto a chainstay, and a small magnet on the end of a crankarm that passes near the sensor.

If you want to see your phone while riding that gets messier.  Personally I keep my phone in my pocket with the screen off.

Otherwise you'll need a handlebar mount, or a top tube bag, or both.  Its a good idea to bring a USB battery pack and cable for your phone, because a phone that runs for a day of normal use might only get 2-4 hours of riding time before its flat.

Right-angle USB cables can help organise things too.

Windows phones are lacking in this area - a good answer is Windows Phone as a Bike Computer - What is the current State of the Art?


What is the generic name for the gear shifter where you have one trigger for the up shift and another for down shift?

Sounds like an indexed thumb shifter or an indexed pod shifter or a trigger shifter.  All three names mean the same kind of thing, though different designs may put the two levers in different places, or may use a button for release.

Examples:

 Shimano Tourney 7 speed TX50

 Shimano Altus three position left hand shifter.

Integrated

Its possible to get shifter/brake levers integrated into one unit.  Advantage is that you have fewer mounting bands on your bars, so its a space saver and a small weight saving.   Disadvantage is that changing a shifter MAY mean changing the brake lever too.

Shimano has a bunch of standards for combination shifter and brake levers, named I-Spec and available in variants called "I-Spec A" which is the original, and "I-Spec B" and "I-Spec II"   none of which are inter-compatible.

There is nothing wrong with running a separate gear shifter and brake lever, as long as they're both reachable from your grips.  From a future-proofing point of view, separate makes a lot of sense.

Others

  The grip shift, or revoshift, or many other names.  These are commonly found on cheap nasty bikes known as BSOs, and are renowned for having a short life.  They tend to crack rending them useless.  The exception would be the Rohloff grip shifter which is super robust.

 bar-end shifters - popular with touring riders, and can often run in indexed or friction modes.  I find the cable routing looks weird, so its not uncommon to route the cable under the bartape, or even completely internal to the bars.

This is a friction shifter, where the position is determined by your skill only.

This is a pair of downtube shifters, more common on 80s road bikes.  These never really appeared on MTB.  Can be mounted on the stem, in which case they're called stem shifters.

 Finally brifters - the gear change of choice of the drop bar rider.  Common on Road bikes and Cyclocross, and gravel.


Such a hub exists for trike and quads . Pedal forward with 3 or 5 gears then having a coaster brake to stop . At full stop with the brake engaged continued backward pedal pressure will cause the cycle will move in reverse in a reduced gear . Sturmey-Archer has made these hubs for the niche market (velomobiles ) for some years now . The hubs have a sprocket bolted to the right spoke flange to drive the rear axle , some clever types have removed this and laced it into a wheel for a single rear wheel trike . Maybe this could work for a bike , still a question of balance in reverse ?!

  model QS-RC5 with reverse+coaster brake
  model TS-RC5 only coaster brake and no reverse

SA Specification Sheet PDF

5 Speed internal gear hub with coaster brake
Special use hub, includes a reverse gear on QS-RC5 model

There's also a 3 speed version with reverse, model QS-RC3.

Specs

Hub Shell Material - 6061 Aluminium
Axle Diameter - 13/32” Slotted
Axle Length - 185mm
Over Locknut Dimension - 139mm
Right Axle Protrusion Length - 24mm
Left Axle Protrusion Length - 22mm
Flange Width - 65mm
Flange Sprocket Teeth - 22T
Flange Sprocket C.L. - 39.4mm
Sprocket Teeth - 21T through 22T
Sprocket Chain Line: 53.9mm
Indicator Chain - HSA585 Mark Yellow
Weight - 2010g

Gear Ratio

  • Overall Range - 256%
  • Gear 1 - 62.5% (-)37.5%
  • Gear 2 - 75% (-)25% (Gear 1 + 20%)
  • Gear 3 - 100% Direct Drive (Gear 2 + 33%)
  • Gear 4 - 133.3% (+)33.3% (Gear 3 + 33%)
  • Gear 5 - 160% (+)60% (Gear 4 + 20%)

Chain sprockets mounting: 3 notch mounting
Colour:   silver
Flange distance (right):  39 mm
Flange PCD (right):   67 mm
Flange distance (left):   32 mm
Flange PCD (left):    67 mm
Over Locknut Distance (O.L.D.):   139 [EN] mm

There's an operation manual available at https://hfchristiansen.zendesk.com/hc/da/article_attachments/115010677845/Manual_-_QS-RC5.pdf

To operate reverse, you stop the bike, then start pedalling backwards.


Is there any bike insurance which covers both bike and life?

The short answer to this is "yes".

Is there any bike insurance which also covers rental biking?

The short answer to this is "not that I know of".

The longer answers...

In general in the US, casualty (theft/loss), liability (payment to others when you are at fault), life, and health insurance are separate classes of policy. Many auto policies combine casualty and liability (and minimal health) coverage.

Often in the US, theft or damage to your bicycle will be covered under a homeowners or renters policy. Unfortunately you will want to make sure that the coverage is very specific about actual value vs replacement value, deductible, depreciation, incident location, security requirements, etc. A common deductible amount is $250, and in a claim the adjuster would likely assess very rapid depreciation to a bicycle; 25-30% per year or more. So if your moderately priced bicycle is more than a few years old you would collect almost nothing on a claim.

There are at least two companies in the United States that offer bicycle insurance plans that are similar in nature to motor vehicle insurance (Markel and Velosurance). Because companies and plans come and go, you should just use your preferred search engine for terms like "US Bicycle Insurance".

The few specialized policies that are available differ significantly, so you would want to compare them closely. That said, you should be able to purchase policies in the US now that cover:

Liability if you are at fault (you crash your bike into someone or something and cause damage).
Your out of pocket expenses if you are injured in an accident for which a liability cannot be established (like a hit and run).
Damage to your bicycle if you crash and it's your own fault (similar to comprehensive/collision car insurance).

That said, when I have looked into it, bicycle insurance was comparatively expensive. It made far more sense for me to self insure the bicycle against theft/damage by creating a "new bike fund" and just paying myself. My health insurance covers me if I am injured. If you have significant assets, like a nice home and car, and you are worried about being sued for causing damage while bicycling, you could look into a general personal liability (umbrella) policy.

Coverage for theft or damage to a rental bike you are using may be available when you rent the bike. In addition, many credit card issuers in the US have "purchase protection plans", but you would have to check with your card issuer regarding coverage. Liability coverage for damage or loss that you cause to others or other property would fall under an umbrella liability policy as above.


There are a number of reasons for using either toe-clips (pedal straps) or clipless pedals:

It allows you to pull up as well as down, increasing the efficiency of your pedalling. This is something that you need to work at to get full effect from, as it is not a natural motion to most people. In Cadel Evans' book "Close to Flying" there is talk of a bike he uses for training that has a "freewheel" mechanism for the cranks which forces you to practice lifting the pedals as well as pushing them.
It positions the pedal under the ball of the foot giving you better leverage. While you don't need straps or clipless to do this, it does help keep your foot in the right place.
It helps to stop your feet coming off in rough ground while mountain biking.
It gives you more control over the rear of the bike allowing you to lift and shift the rear more easily. This makes it easier to bunny hop, and helps with controlling the bike on rough ground.


How can I mount my phone and my battery pack to my bike?

How about a top tube bag?

I've had a couple of handlebar mounts and they haven't lasted long in crowded bike sheds. Even mounted quite centrally they're vulnerable to knocks and aren't very strong.

A top tube bag with a clear lid works better for me. Do be sure to get one big enough though.  It will take the battery pack as well and should do a decent job of keeping everything dry (even if you have a waterproof phone you probably want to keep water out of the charging socket).


First make sure you have disc brake mounting tabs on the seat stays.

If you don't have those, then it's pretty much impossible. Technically still possible, but not without added costs that go well beyond what your bike is worth.

Also, you need to make sure your rear hub has mounting holes for the disc.

If you don't have these, you will need to replace the hub or the wheel.  In your case it would probably be better to just replace the entire wheel.

Your bike is pretty low end.  If you are having braking issues, first make sure everything is adjusted properly.  Then perhaps consider getting a higher quality v-brake with good brake pads. This upgrade will be cheaper and will provide more than adequate braking power.


What do I need to do to bring this bike back to life?

I would start by just trying to pump up the tires and see if they hold air. Then put some basic lubricating oil on the chain and gears. That should be enough to make it basically rideable so you can use it. Once you are riding, you can decide what is most urgent to work on next.


Glad you are having fun on your bike! Here's a link to adjusting the rear derailleur -- it's worth a look if only to gain some insight into the RD's settings and perhaps what might go wrong. OTOH, you might be able to fix/adjust it yourself :)
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-adjustment
Before working on the RD, it's a good idea to at least brush off any dirt/mud/stuff that might be on the chain and gears. It'll be easier to see what's going on, and the problem might just be something stuck in the gears as with your first issue.


I had experience with riding of different bicycle types for commute, my distance was around 20km per day:

MTB: tires are bad fit for the job, so you put on slicks, running out of gears on asphalt flats/descends, sitting too high, too wide bars, extra weight from the fork. Makes sense only if you ride offroad for a major time of your commute, like one of my colleagues does.
Cyclocross: not bad, more aggressive geometry than road bike works fine for 10km ride but may be a pain for a longer one. Tires work both on asphalt and outside of it. But CX bikes are usually not coming with mudguard mounts, and tire clearance is usually limited to 35-37mm (due to 33mm official CX limit by UCI).
Road Bike: works great during the summer for longer commutes or when the weather is dry. Gets you to work ASAP. Many positions available on the handlebars. Slicks are getting not much grip when it's +3 and wet. Not much practicality bonuses, so the extra cargo most likely is going to be carried on you. There are some <1000GBP options available with mudguards (like 2019 Specialized Allez), but with bike's price increase mudguards are getting quite rare. Rim brake versions are quite easy to maintain in my experience. Not the best choice when you get into cycling traffic jams. Can use more robust rims with more spokes plus universal set of tires like Conti 4 season to get it almost bulletproof (remember Martyn Ashton's Road Bike Party showing you what road bike can handle). I use this option during summer when I also want to involve training ride before/after work or get to work very fast beating some Strava segments.
Gravel Bike: take pretty much all of the advantages of a road bike and deduct disadvantagess like lack of mudguard or rack mounts. With clearance up to ±47mm you can have comfortable solid tires fit in without sacrificing much speed. Unfortunately hydralic disc brakes for drop bar bikes are still a luxury, unlike flat bar bikes where it's more or less standard over ~400GBP. Can be used as a tourer too, plenty of bags are now sold designed for gravel bikes backpacking which could also be useful for commute. Expected to be lighter and faster than proper tourer. My friend rides around 40km a day on a steel Vitus 650b gravel bike and loves it.
Hybrid: my new love. Bought one to replace carbon gravel bike which I believe is too much for winter conditions and only 13km/day commute (after moving to new place my commute distance got shorter). Comparing to gravel bike you get much higher riding position, which with other factors like increased weight makes me around 20-30% slower. Also the fact of not riding a fast bike helps to take things easier, I started to ride to work in jeans with flat pedals again. Having a hybrid bike I don't need to be one of weight-weenies, so I have mudguards, solid rack and a waterproof bag which make my life so much more comfortable. Flat bar works for a short distance but when I finally leave the city I really want to sit lower to make it easier to maintain higher speed. Not talking about comfort, your hands will be in the same only position for few hours daily. Hybrid bikes are usually quite cheap so I can finally park my bike outside and use for things like buying grocery. I think most of the stuff said about Hybrids applies to Tourers too.

Reliability of components

If you're able to find within your budget a bike with hub shifting - may be worth considering it. But without sacrificing the shifting abilities, because unlike other commenter here I believe that number of gears is important if you live in a hilly area. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. Sora and Tiagra levels are currently decent enough to use them hard and expect reliability to be high and maintenance to be quite easy. Spare parts are available everywhere (including second hand in mint condition due to many people upgrading from 9/10 to 11 often shortly after buying a bike) and are quite cheap. Here in Stockholm I see plenty of people riding cheap hybrids with basic Shimano groupsets and seems that they've never washed or serviced them, but they are still running.
Mudguards are actually making significant difference to how your bike is feeling and what's it's resource.

Conclusions

For your distance of commute I would definitely look for a drop-bar gravel bike with wider tires and something around Tiagra groupset. I believe that hybrid would be too slow for your use and works best for up to ~30km per day. I have much shorter distance and went for a hybrid which works very well too.


What makes grease appropriate for bikes?

Phil Wood, the owner of the bicycle tool and components company of the same name, once commented that his number one requirement when he was buying barrels of grease for his company, was that it be the exact same green color shade as the previous batch, so that he didn't get too many phone calls asking what he'd changed.

Point is that the "bike specific" greases generally aren't.

As far as functional necessities:

Not too thin - A thin grease, like Slick Honey, will run very smooth, but only for a very short time. If you want ideal performance, and don't mind overhauling your bike every couple weeks, use this.
Not too sticky - Motorcycle/Automotive type bearing grease tends to be very sticky and very thick. They are designed to thin out at higher levels of heat and friction than a bicycle will reach. So it will last a long time, but will feel tight, and add friction to your bearings.

Generally, buy a tube of Phil Wood or Park tool grease, and feel free to use anything with a similar purity and consistency in the future.

Edit: After reading Matthew's answer on this page, I realized I hadn't pointed out the 2 cases where the grease matters. In the case of Carbon, see here. In the case of Titanium, with any non carbon frame, you must use a copper paste grease, commonly sold as TiPrep. it is messy, annoying, gets all over everything, but it stays put, which no other grease i am aware of does for Ti.


what is this protrusion on one side of my platform pedal for?

When you fit toe clips to your pedals, that spike is there to help you flip the pedal over so the clip is on the top.

The pedals have an up and down orientation when toeclips are fitted.


Yes, the less rubber there is between the tube and the road, the more likely it gets for you to find a shard/stone/thorn that's big enough to cut through to the tube. The amount of rubber is your main defense against punctures.

Consequently, puncture proof tires usually add quite thick layers of extra rubber / rubbery material. They may also have improved protector layers, but the extra rubber is their main defense.

And the effect of these extra rubber layers is huge: When did you last have a blow-out on your car (if you have one)? Cars do much more kilometers than bikes, they are driven across the same kinds of surfaces, they have a much wider track, allowing them to collect much more shards/stones/thorns, but they virtually never have punctures. Simply because their tires have such a massive rubber layer.

So, yes, the more you wear down your tire, the more frequent the punctures will become. If punctures get too frequent, think about replacing the tire. Ideally with a serious puncture proof one.


Removing and reseating front wheel makes disc brakes rub

Ring the bike shop before doing anything.  They may prefer you take it back to them rather than try to fix it yourself.

All it probably needs a calliper alignment. Briefly - Loosen the two bolts holding the calliper so its free to move but is not sloppy. Slowly bring the brakes on while spinning the wheel. Once the brakes are on tight, without releasing the brakes, tighten the bolts a little. Pump the brakes a few times while spinning the wheel then fully tighten the bolts. Look up how to do it on the internet if in doubt.

Use a torque wrench if you have one. If not, do not over tighten the bolts (Pay attention to how tight they were when you loosened them).


Matching Rando bag and seat-attached saddle bag?

The Brooks Cornwall handlebar bag matches your needs, in leather, and in multiple colors.

Matched with the Glenbrook Saddle bag,

or the Brooks Challenge Roll-up Tool bag,

it would be pretty nice.

All of these, along with a multitude of other brands and styles can be found on the Wallbike.com site, or your LBS can order them for you.


Does greasing the threads of an inline barrel adjuster cause slippage?

It is very unlikely that the constant compression on the joint would result in any turning of the barrel adjuster.   Two factors affect this:

firstly the friction between the threads and the friction between the adjuster against the cable sleeve has to be overcome.  The way friction works is that until a minimum threshold force is reached there is no movement.  Multiple tiny jolts do not add up over time, they have no effect at all.
Secondly there is a negative leverage effect when turning the threads.  When tightening a bolt the bolt applies a much greater force on the job than the spanner applies on the bolt.  In this case you are working in reverse, so the compression force on the threads results in a very much weaker turning force on the barrel.*

It is extremely unlikely that the return spring on a brake caliper or gear shifter could provide anything like enough force to overcome the friction and turn the adjuster barrel.

Any turning effect that did happen would probably come from mechanical vibration or something banging or rubbing against the adjuster.

* one way to look at this is that the flats on a bolt with a 5mm head travel 3.14 x 5mm in each turn.  The bolt moves forward maybe 0.5mm.  So the force gets amplified approximately 30 times.  In reverse the pressure on the bolt is weakened by a factor of 30 when it tries to push the flats around.

UPDATE

For anyone interested in how lubrication makes a difference:

There are two types of friction, static friction and dynamic friction.  Static friction states what the resistance to movement will be for two stationary surfaces in contact.  For any two surfaces the sideways force needed to make them move is proportional to the force pressing them together.  Typically for dry metal-metal contact this coefficient of friction is about 1, i.e. a 1 Newton force pressing the surfaces together means a 1 Newton sideways force is required to make them move.

Once the surfaces are moving then the coefficient of friction generally falls to a lower value.  For dry metal-metal surfaces the static and dynamic coefficients are about the same, getting the surface moving does not change things much.

Lubricating surfaces typically lowers the coefficients of friction.  However, the lowering is not equal: for typical metal-metal contact lubricating lowers the static coefficient a bit, it lowers the dynamic coefficient a lot.

So, lubrication does not make the barrel adjuster much easier to turn, but once you have got it turning lubrication does make it easier to keep on turning.

Finally: we need to consider the difference between force and impulse.  If I tap my car with a pencil it applies a high force to the car (listen to the sharp explosive sound it makes).  The car does not move because the duration of the force is transitory, the impulse imparted by the pencil is minimal.  If a tow-truck rolling very slowly gently nudges the fender the car moves along the road.  The force is low (no sound, no damage) but the duration is long and the impulse is considerable.

Imaging a pencil tapping the barrel adjuster.  It may well have enough force to make the adjuster move, but the duration of the force is minimal.  Theoretically it will get the adjuster to move, but in a random direction and for an infinitesimal distance.

On the other hand the return spring, a twisted cable etc might be able to apply a smaller force for a long time in a consistent direction.  It can't get the adjuster to start moving, but if it could then theoretically it might be able to keep it moving one-way for a non-negligible distance.

However, lubricating the adjuster still won't allow the spring/twisted cable to get the adjuster moving because lubrication does not change the static friction much.

Add lubrication and the pencil tap together and they might make a difference.  The pencil tap adds a negligible movement in a random direction.  Even so it is a movement, and the lubrication has lowered the dynamic friction so that might allow some other force (low but in a consistent direction) to keep the adjuster moving for a while in one direction.


How to tighten SRAM HRD Rival brake lever?

It was much improved by a service at a shop where they replaced the brake pad and bled the system. It seems tightening the pivot pin was not needed.


Slotted or unslotted crown race with tapered carbon steerers

The Cane Creek 40 system uses cartridge bearings.  The crown race of this bearing system is generally to support cartridge bearing, ie: it doesn't actually have bearing balls "racing" on it. Those are contained between the 2 halves of the cartridge bearing.  What this means is that one can use a split crown race without interfering with the bearing function or setting of the bearing preload.  As you infer in your question, a split crown race requires far less force to seat, making installation onto a carbon steer tube far less risky.  Even if it's proven that proper installation of a closed crown race upon a carbon steer tube is 100% harmless there's the peace of mind factor to consider using a split crown race.
One can split the provided crown race using a cutting wheel on a rotary tool or a hacksaw supplied with an appropriate fine-tooth blade. It may be best to split the provided crown race as it's typical protocol to use a crown race that comes together with the headset. One can obtain a separate, split crown race that will work if it shares the same dimensions as the provided race.  Apparently you will have to obtain a split crown race from another manufacturer as no listing for a split crown race is found in the "replacement small parts" section of Cane Creek's 40 web information.  Indeed, specific directions or cautions for installing Cane Creek headsets on a carbon steerer tube are absent, at least within the 40 section of their website.  I favor splitting the provided crown race and gently installing that as it would be most economical and preserves the unity of the headset.
Regarding your tolerance questions, I quote from Park Tool's Threadless Headset section discussing pressed cups and bearings: "There must be a slight diameter difference between the two pressed surfaces. Typically, the pressed headset race outside diameter should be between 0.1mm and 0.25mm larger than the head tube inside diameter." Your posted diameters differ to within this range, and so your parts are sized as they should be.


How to prevent cycling shorts damage from brooks swallow saddle?

I finally found the root cause after confirming the issue with the bicycle store. Also, I thank, @Andrew Henle for helping me out in finding the issue.
There are two reasons for my shorts being damaged with this brooks saddle.

My left leg is seaming inwards (arch is dropping inwards) while pedalling which is the reason, my left thigh is constantly touching the saddle front part.
My brooks saddle has a slight bulge towards the left side at front of the saddle, which has to be straight. And the friction due to this rubbing on leather is a catalyst in this damage.

The bicycle expert in-store suggested me to go for a non-leather saddle for now.


switching from 9-speed to 11-speed with a rear hub motor

The short answer is that the 11 speed cassette is slightly wider than a 10 speed one (34.95->36.75mm = +1.8mm) which in turn is slightly wider than a 9 speed one. Sheldon Brown died before Shimano 11 speed came out, so his chart only goes up to Campag 11 speed, that that suggests 36.5mm for Shimano 9 speed compared to 40.1mm for Campag 11 speed (+3.6mm). You'll note that those numbers don't match up, so it comes back to "measure it yourself".

To prevent the practical problem of someone buying the wrong cassette, fitting it, then complaining that it doesn't work, they have a different arrangement of ridges on the freewheel. In your case, you already know that you need a new derailleur and shifter, but not everyone does.

Now, it's possible you could change the freewheel to an 11spd one and spread your frame slightly to accommodate it, but that would be a DIY task not a bike shop one I suspect. The bike shop could well refuse to spread an aluminium frame because that would probably fatally weaken it, but under Australian law they're liable for any damage they do (including the key point in this case, making the bike not fit for purpose). With most steel frames you could reasonably spread them 4 or 5 millimetres, use a longer axle and an extra spacer, and the only question would be whether you can fit the 11 speed freewhel you that hub.


Maintenance as my Derailleur are squeaking due to the everyday use and carelessness shown while changing gears while the cycle is static

My guess is that your chain is squeaking as it passes through the derailleur pulleys because it is dry.
Cleaning, lubrication and correct adjustment are the keys to long life with a bicycle.

If the chain is dry and not dirty all you need is some bicycle chain appropriate lubricant (lots of choices)
If the chain is dirty and dry you can clean the chain on the bike (a quick Google of "bicycle chain lubrication" will give you lots of information)
If you lubricate the chain and it is the derailleur squeaking use a bike appropriate lubricant on the pulleys and the pivot points on the derailleur.

Changing gears while the bike is not moving may cause the cables to stretch and effect shifting quality, but it's unlikely to cause the derailleur to squeak.


Assuming that you're talking about cleats on your shoes, there are three main attachment systems.

Left: 2-bolt, Middle: 2 or 3 bolt, Right: 3 bolt.

Notice how the one on the left has a chunkier sole. The two-bolt option is used for SPD which are popular with MTB, commuting and touring cyclists. I use 2-bolt SPD shoes on my audax bike because I'm able to walk in them without slipping over or damaging the cleats.

A comparison of the different pedals has already been covered thoroughly on bicycles.SE, and Wiggle also provide some friendly explanations.


Shimano R7000 front derailleur height adjustment

The proper height for the front derailleur brings it to between 1 & 3 mm above the largest chainring. Perhaps of more importance in eliminating chainrub is paying particular attention to parallelism of the outer plane of the outer chainwheel  and the outer cage plate. Place the long side of a hex wrench flat along outer aspect of the chainwheel (at the top of the chainwheel, to the right or forward side of the front derailleur). Essentially you've made the hex key shaft a tangent to the chain wheel. As you rotate the chainwheel back with the hex key flat on the chainwheel, it will sweep across the outer plate of the derailleur. You can tell if you need to rotate the derailleur some based on any variance in the distance of wrench to outer plate. In addition, the outside of the outer plate should in line/parallel with the outside plane of the large chainwheel.  The low limit screw is manipulated to bring this into proper alignment.  Here is Shimano's Dealer Manual with directions on the install and adjustment of the 105 front derailleur.
The bolt you are inquiring about is a cable adjustment bolt which adjusts cable tension as a barell adjuster does. You should have an inline barell adjuster somewhere between your shifter and the derailleur, most likely on your down tube. This does the same thing as the adjustment bolt .
One thing to mention in your case of chain rub at the extremes of the cassette, is if you're aware that the shifters have  "trimming" capability? That is extra detents on the front, left shifter. Moving the smaller "b" lever slightly inboard (move it about 1/4 to 1/2 of the throw), you'll hear a click as the shifter hits the detent and the derailleur will move slightly inboard without moving the chain off the chainwheel. This effectively moves the derailleur away from the chain, stopping the rub. This move is when in the large chainring and you're moving up the cassette, chainrub is encountered as the chain reaches larger rear sprockets. Moving the derailleur slightly inboard  (trimming) quiets the rub.
Also note that the cable tension is adjusted when the shifter/derailleur are in the trim position (for proper adjustment, in other words). Starting on page 17 of the dealers manual I've linked to is where discussion of the trim and cable tension adjustment begins. It's likely to be much clearer with the associated pics than my babble.


Does the fox hunt game exist professionally?

I've never heard of a fox hunt race in particular, but there is an extensive racing culture among bicycle couriers. These races are usually alleycat races, and generally involve riding to several checkpoints in sequence, sometimes performing tasks at those checkpoints.

Searching YouTube for bicycle messenger races, alleycat racing, and similar terms, will bring up many videos.

See also In Race of Bike Messengers, Potholes and Bad Manners Can Be Costly, a New York Times feature about the North American Cycle Courier Championship, a rare sanctioned race for which the city closed streets.


Shimano 7 speed with click shift not enough range. Can only get 4 of 7 gears

The problem is for sure in your shifter. Make sure both levers can move freely at any gear (i.e. are not hitting against brake lever mount or other accessories).

Also make sure that your shifter's inner mechanism looks fine, parts move freely. If not - consider lubrication.

Disconnect cable from the derailleur, take shifter off the handlebar, shift to the lowest gear and try shift 7 times up. If you can't so the only option is to replace it to proper 7 gear shifter.


for what I see online about your bike, you don't have fitting for disc brakes.
You could upgrade to better V brakes, or Cantilever brakes, even idraulic Magura rim brakes, if power is what you are looking for, but disc brakes won't fit on your frame.


Where can I buy lugs for a classic roadster frame geometry?

No Roadster lugs are available for the independent or small shop. That is why I had to make them.

Roadster lugs are made [India, China, Taiwan and of course in the Netherlands], it is just that distributors like Nova and Ceeway do not buy them.

I find it amusing about the comment about TIG welding lugs. Why lug anything really...it is just for looks. Stamped lugs are welded together :)  Only the expensive racing lugs are cast.

I think you best bet is to try and find them in India or Taiwan and ask for a sample.


It would take a lot of cleaning to wear away the folding mechanisms on a Dahon. Unless you're cleaning your bike with steel wool and an angle grinder, you have very little to worry about. However, as you likely know, not cleaning your bike can result in excessive wear. The good news is that, since this is a single-speed bike, you have less to clean.

While folders do get dirtier than other bikes, because they're lower to the ground, cleaning one isn't all that different from cleaning a non-folding bike, with a few differences:

In general, you want to get the dirt off (including any road salt) or grit or sand, clean the drivetrain, then relube it. Make sure to rinse off any degreaser before relubing. Since a folding frame has more points of entry, you might want to take more care to avoid getting anything inside the frame - or spend a little time investigating to see if you have any dirt or grit in there.

Attacking the dirt and road grime with warm soapy water and then rinsing it off will be your best strategy. There's some controversy about whether or not citrus degreaser is bad for a bike's paint job, but I use it for stubborn bits of dirt and make sure to rinse it off thoroughly. I would avoid high-pressure water, or at the very least, keep it away from the bearings and folding parts.

I'm not sure what that plastic covering is on the chain, but it looks like it's there to protect it, which should make your job easier. You'll still want to remove the chain from time to time and clean it. On my Dahon Curve, I do it by removing the rear wheel and soaking the chain overnight in diluted degreaser, then rinsing the chain thoroughly. (The rear hub on a Curve can be a little finicky to put back on, but for reasons involving the internal hub. That's not an issue with the Uno, since it's a singlespeed.)

Cleaning smaller wheels can be a little difficult, because the spaces between the spokes and the rim are so small. However, there's less area to cover, so that evens out.

The folding parts on a Dahon include the frame hinge joint, the handlebar pillar, the seat post, and the stem hinge. They don't have any particular instructions for cleaning (soap and water will do a fine job), but you do want to make sure those are maintained.


Downtube shifters won't stay in low gear on rear derailleur

Downtube shifters are usually called "friction shifters" and friction is key when fixing the issue you describe. I own and periodically use an old Cannondale with such system. Every now and then I find myself with the same problem as yours. How to fix it? Easy, just tighten the lever of the shifter.

Mine came with an integrated metal triangle handle (couldn't find its exact name, but I've attached a picture as an example.) So they can be tightened using your bare fingers and on the fly, but some other models might need to use a screwdriver. The H and L limits of the derailleurs will have nothing to do with this problem.


Switching from 3x9 Gears to Cheaper Ones?

I think you'll find that the cost of switching to a different gear type will be more expensive in the long run.  As technology progresses, the 7 speed stuff will get harder and harder to find, and more expensive.  I've messed around with this sort of thing, but going the other direction: there are a lot of items you'll need to switch.  A short (probably incomplete list):

cassette (obviously)
shifters (obviously)
brake levers (if they're attached to the shifters, as many are)
The freewheel in the rear, to be compatible with the different kind of cassette

May include a new rear hub
May include a new back wheel
May instead include rebuilding the back wheel yourself

Your crankset in the front, if gear ratios are wrong for your new cassette

It ends up being a pretty big change.  That said, you can get 9 speed cassettes pretty inexpensively.  If you're worried about cost, you can get a new cassette for about $20.  You can get a new 9 speed chain for $15 - $20.  If you keep your chain clean, dry it whenever you get it wet, and keep it well lubed, you should be able to get at least 2000 miles out of it.  If you replace your chains when they start to wear out, you should be able to make a cassette last through at least 3 chains.  That's 6000 miles for about $65; not bad.  Considering how much money and time you'd spend on new shifters, hubs, freewheels, and all the rest, I don't think it's ever really worth downgrading equipment.


What foods do you consume after biking to retain energy?

Unfortunately, I don't feel able to talk about food QUALITY, since even "vegan" can mean a lot of things these days, and this understanding varies from person to person. Just to illustrate, I'm not sure to suggest cheese, honey, milk and eggs, although I do find these to be excellent heavy-fuels for cycling.

Now what I do feel sure to advise, being an everyday commuter that likes to eat and sometimes get burnt-out or otherwise energy-deprived due to hunger, is about AMOUNT and TIMING.

I cannot ride to work without having an at least a decent breakfast, otherwise the weakness manifests itself as soon as I start to pedal. Usually, this is enough to allow a morning of productive work until lunch time;
At lunch, I am always hungry eat a very substantial amount of food.
When I go home for lunch (50% of the times), sometimes I feel the power to pedal is not so good due to hunger. This only improves some 20 minutes after I start the meal.
During the afternoon, about two to three hours after lunch, I start to get hungry. Then I take a snack, otherwise when it's time to go home (by bike) I am already starving.
I get home ALWAYS starving, this is the time of day my internal clock demands food, and usually I take some sweet stuff (bread with jam, milk, and other breakfast-related foods). I'ts a requirement, for myself, that I eat until I get totally satisfied, otherwise I cannot be in a good mood (my family knows it best than I do).

Even though, and I have to agree, this seems like a nutritional abuse, my health is fine, and my weight is steady. That was not so in the beginning of this lifestyle (bike commuting every day), but one tends to get used to lifestyle changes eventually.

Of course I would not suggest you to do the same, but I'd suggest the following "general principles":

If you commute by bike, you simply HAVE to eat A LOT. There is no magic here: your increased energy consumption demands this energy to come from somewhere;
Most regular bikers have a diet that could turn sedentary people ill, due to the amount of calories and what I call "heavy-fuels". Vegan heavy-fuels would be coconut, nuts in general, avocado, lots of bananas, etc.
Since the demands are not just caloric/energetic, but also constitutional (you need to rebuild cellular methabolism overloaded by effort, high turnover, exposure to pollution, exposure to climatic factors). So the QUALITY of the food is also important, but since you'r vegan, that should be for you to judge.
(EDIT!) Sometimes what you eat just after commuting matters less for your well-being than what you've eaten in the hours, or even days, before the ride. If one is "well fed", it's possible to endure vigorous exercise and be able to bear some hours of fasting until the next meal, specially if you do everything (ride, eat, work) more or less at the same time of day, everyday.

At last, you said you're losing weight. If you were overweight, that might be the expected thing to happen. Now if you were normal weight, and are at the same time losing weight and feeling burnt-out, that is a very serious warning sign. If self-management of food intake alone doesn't solve it, perhaps you should see a professional.

Hope this helps!


The Wikipedia entry for Iliotibial band syndrome suggests that some of possible causes may be

Inadequate warm-up or cool-down
Excessive up-hill and down-hill running
Positioning the feet "toed-in" to an excessive angle when cycling

This IT Band Pain Stretches, Treatment And Prevention article suggests "Having a properly fitted bike can help triathletes who suffer from ITB impingement while riding", and gives other advice.

Edit: This old answer may be useful also.

I suspect

because it's such a short ride, maybe you are not warming up enough before you start.
the bike fit, despite your confidence that it's ok.
gearing: if you have to stand on the hills for long periods, then you need lower gears.

I recommend

stop riding now while you find the cause and find the correct treatment.
go to a specialist bike shop and get you, your bike, and your position (including foot position) checked, so that the fit is confirmed to be good.
get lower gears.
get medical advice. I like to see a physiotherapist for this kind of thing. Find one who is really into sports injuries.
depending on the medical advice, do some strength work.
when you resume riding, make sure you warm up thoroughly.
when riding hills, use the lower gears so that you spin more.

Edit: and I should add I am not a medically trained person.


Most Crucial Gear/ Accessories for a (Road) Cycling Beginner?

Sounds like you have the basics covered pretty well.... If you're turning in some serious mileage, you want to be able to handle flats and minor repairs on the road.
Minimum is a good frame pump ( a lot of the mini pumps have trouble getting past 50 pounds or so...) spare tube, tire tools, etc.  Some of the handy little hand-cleaning wipes are a good idea as well.
A multi-tool that will take care of most emergencies is a good investment; it should include a chain breaker, allen wrenches to fit the fasteners on your bike, etc.
Some money is never a bad idea.  You may just HAVE to have a donut....


Is it OK to use coffee or other drinks to clean road rash?

Plain black coffee would be okay; it's just water and it should be nearly sterile.  However, I would definitely avoid coffee that contains milk, sugar or other additives that can support bacteria growth.

Now, this is going to come as a bit of a surprise, but what is an excellent wound cleanser is urine.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  But other than the ewwww factor, it's nearly perfect.  It's warm, sterile*, and near isotonic.  Naturally, the guy's not likely to agree to let you urinate on him, but he can do it himself.

*Assuming the person is healthy.


For those who aren't familiar, a SRAM Automatix hub is a 2-sped internal gear hub which shifts automatically, with the shift mechanism and everything contained in the hub. The mechanism is mechanical, and there aren't any batteries or anything involved. So, no cables to the back of the bike needed except for a brake cable if you have a freewheel Automatix (rim brake), disc brake Automatix or roller brake automatix. The coaster brake variant will not need a brake cable, obviously. There are in some sense similar products from Sturmy Archer (Sturmy Archer Kickback, which you backpedal a bit to shift), but the Automatix is the leader of the pack since shifts automatically without any user intervention.

While Automatix hubs are  pretty reliable and work well, they aren't very popular in the grand scheme of bicycles. And whats available is highly market dependent.

You're primarily going to find automatix on things marketed as city bikes or something similar. Major manufacturers like Specialized have had them in the past, but you might end up having to go with a more boutique manufacturer (e.g. Mission Cycles). Your bike shop should be able to help you.

The swapping in of an automatix wheel is straightforward but not necessarily trivial; you have to sort out your rear brake situation (coaster, disc or roller in the hub, or have the hub freewheel and use a rim brake), have the right hub spacing for your frame and an appropriate rim size. I'd say its not significantly easier than getting a bike with automatix in the first place.


Restoration after immersion - what needs doing?

I'd consider replacing the shifter cables and housings, as this is a relatively low cost fix. Water will have seeped deep into the housings.

The hydraulic brakes are of course nominally sealed, but a bleed may be good idea in case water has got into the system. The braking system is obviously critical so I'd do it.

Water probably got past the fork seals. You don't want that sitting in the fork and the seals are not preventing it from coming out. If it's a coil fork it should come apart fairly easily (search youtube for videos), if it's air it's trickier. I notice there are service manual downloads on the Suntour page. You can also try contacting Suntour.


"Old" vs new Shimano 9-speed compatibility?

Yes, the rear derailleurs are completely acceptable, the cable pull ratio did not change. You will not get any new features of SHADOW PLUS you get in new generations of XT.
A year ago I still saw XT M772 Shadow on offer, but it seems to be unavailable now. Deore M592 Shadow seems to be still available here and there. You might be interested in that instead of the lower Acera or Alivio lines.
A new derailleur might function better than a used 20-years old one, but you certainly won't get such tight tolerances, such good materials and such high-quality pivots in the low-end lines. Be prepared they may not remain in such a good condition, the old one remained to be, for such a long time. The pivots might become loose, for example.


Given that the Schwinn sidewinder is a Walmart bike, you're best off getting a new bike. We call these BSO's or bike shaped objects.

By the time you get a basic suspension fork, you'll be spending more than the bike after installation, whereas you could easily buy a good used entry level front suspension mountain bike (say, a Specialized Hard Rock or Trek 3700 or whatever) for slightly more, which will be way more durable and better quality components.


Does this wear pattern on my shorts indicate an issue with my position on my road bike?

It looks like your saddle is positioned quite far back, relative to the post.

Swapping the seatpost for one with more layback (offset) should allow you to keep the same saddle position relative to the bike but clamping the rails further back, where the saddle is wider.

Clamping further back on the rails may also reduce the risk of bending the rails.


Can I convert a road frame to a mountain bike?

If you want to use it for "proper mountain biking" (however you define that) the answer is almost certainly no. You won't be able to fit wide enough tyres to give you decent grip, and punctures are likely to be a problem. Additionally, the geometry will be all wrong (if you put straight bars on it you'll probably feel quite cramped without a long stem, which will make the handling wierd). That's without getting into the strength issue - Cannondales have always seemed quite fragile to me (but that's an opinion only, never owned one).

However, if you want something for blasting along relatively smooth forest trails that aren't muddy, fit the widest grippiest tyres you can and give it a whirl. Despite what I said about strength in relation to proper mountain biking, road bikes are surprisingly strong provided the forces are applied to them in the way the bike is designed. A few small bumps are unlikely to break it assuming you're not a large rider, you don't try jumping and you don't crash. It'll be a very different experience from a proper mountain bike, but on the right trails could still be a lot of fun.

Ultimately though for proper cross country mountain biking you do need a mountain bike (or a cyclo cross bike). I'd suggest trying ebay with a reserve price to find out what people are prepared to pay for it. Second hand aluminium road bike frames aren't that desireable any more, even if they did have dura ace on them when purchased, simply because carbon frames are so much cheaper. However, second hand mountain bike frames are also pretty cheap, and a couple of hundred dollars towards one from selling the R3000 frame is infinitely more than nothing if it's just gathering dust.

Hope this helps.


How come pairs are slower than solo riders at the Transcontinental Race?

I expect that the three main contributors are:

The solo riders are just stronger. There's more glory in the solo win so, if you are strong enough to, say, come in the top five on your own, it's probably better to do that than come in the top five as a pair.  For example, compare tennis: the really strong players concentrate on singles.

It's easier to look after yourself and know your own limits than try to figure out what your partner's limits are. At this level, the question isn't so much "Can I ride for another hour?" but "How motivated am I to ride an extra hour even though I feel like crap, and can I keep this up to the end?" It must be very hard to figure out exactly where on the scale your partner is.
For a trivial example if this, how often do you end up in the following situation? You and your partner/friend want to go out for a meal. You suggest restaurant A, they suggest restaurant B. You end up saying, "No, no, it's OK, let's go to B" while they're saying, "Really, A is fine. Let's go there."

Drafting doesn't give you much at the kinds of speeds the riders are doing.
The winning average speed (based on Wikipedia's statement that the race is about 3900km; averaged over moving time) was only about 23km/h (14mph); the leading pair was at about 19km/h (12mph). So, in reality, the solo riders go at their own speed; the pairs go at the speed of the slower member.

Plus, as mentioned in the comments, two bikes will have twice as many mechanicals.
The pairs category actually has less restrictive rules. The 2017 Race Manual says:

In  the  pairs  category  riders  in  the  pair  act  as  a  unit  and  may  share  food,  equipment,
information and resources
between themselves and help each other including riding in each
other's slipstream. No support is to come from outside the pair and resources cannot be
shared  outside  the  pair.    To  all  intents  and  purposes  the  pair  shall  interact  with  others
outside of the pair as if they were a solo rider.

In contrast, non-paired riders aren't allowed to slipstream or share information or resources. The same text has appeared in the manuals since at least 2014 (except for a completely trivial change of wording). I've not been able to find the 2018 manual but I assume nothing has changed, still.


Would a hard tail 29er be a good starter bike for road and light trails?

Short answer yes, a hard tail 29 would be a good fit for what you have described. And it sounds like you already have a fun FS bike and a road bike so it only makes sense. The equation N + 1 comes to mind, where N is the number of bikes you currently own.

29ers roll like nobody's business, they don't accelerate like a smaller tire but the roll over is awesome. For longer 20-50 mile rides a hard tail would not hold you back either especially if your using a fork with speed lock out and smooth tires to reduce spent energy. It won't keep up like a road bike but it won't be completely unbearable either. But a road bike taken on a trail could get interesting quick for an amateur rider.

Sounds to me like you know what you want and have narrowed it down pretty good on your own. I say go for it though.


Your wheel axle is not aligned in the dropouts properly, causing the rim of the wheel to deviate to one side and contact the frame.

I'm guessing you have horizontal or diagonal slotted dropouts and the drive side of the hub has been pulled forward by the force of the chain. You need to re-align the wheel.

This video from Park Tool is about single speed bikes but the wheel alignment art applies to derailleur equipped bikes as well.


Installing shimano mt 200 hydraulic brakes to internally routed frame?

The usual approach is to disconnect the lever nut, cut off the hose just below the factory barb, and then feed it through from the caliper end up to the lever. Then you turn the bars all the way and hold up the hose next to the lever and mark the spot you'll trim to for optimal length. Cut, slide on cover and nut, install new barb and olive, reconnect and bleed.
Some frames have openings big enough to get the nut, cover, and barb through, but most don't. Even if you can do this, the factory olive is smashed up most of the time anyway, potentially causing leaks if rejoined.
The fluid stays in for the most part because only one end gets opened. There are ways of doing the above that introduce little or no air and avoid the need to bleed, but people sometimes overstate how effective those tricks are as opposed to just taking advantage of Shimano brakes' ability to function with a little air in the system. It's better to just bleed it.


Practice with a spare tube outside of the tyre.  You'll see it start to inflate on one or two pumps.

Could it be the pump you're using locks-on the other way?  When its clamped down you should not be able to feel air moving out the end, around the valve.

Possibly your pump is a schrader-only style?  There are wee thread-on adapters that let you use a schrader (car valve) fitting on a presta bike valve.  They also work as caps to protect the valve.


Need help - changing tires/rims on Origin8 Intersekt 7

Punctures are a part of cycling - you'll never eliminate them completely.

You get a puncture because something has pierced your innertube.  That might be loose objects on the roadway (glass, wire, nails)  or the roadway itself (sharp pothole edges)  or even your own bike's wheel rims.

There are two avenues to minimisation.

1. PREVENTION

Look at your tyre - is it worn down in the middle?   Most tyres work fine with no tread pattern, but if your main tread is thin then it offers reduced protection.  Consider buying new tyres.

If you're in the market for tyres anyway, look at those offering Kevlar/aramid breakers or belts.  Often marketed as commuter tyres, they have an extra layer of armour under the tread to reduce penetration.  Note they offer no protection on the sidewalls (but sidewall punctures are rare)  They're also thought to have higher rolling resistance.  Schwalbe Marathon Plus would be one brand, but there are many others.

You can get similar protection without replacing the tyre by adding tyre liners.  These are plastic shells that fit inside the tyre and shield the tube all the way around the wheel.  Downside is added weight.

Sealant can also prevent punctures.  Originally from the tubeless tyre, a bit of liquid latex inside your tube can help seal small holes.  Downside this stuff only lasts about 6 months before it needs topping up, so you need a tube valve with a removeable core.

2. AVOIDANCE

Think about where you ride - main roads are fast and direct but the high traffic levels tend to sweep the road with air gusts, pushing detritus into the sides of the road.

If you ride through these areas you're much more likely to run across small sharp objects.  So change your route to avoid these dirty areas.  Remember bikes can go slightly further easier, and there are bike paths etc.

Pinch flats are when the tyre is low on air, and an obstruction crushes through the tube into the rim, puncturing the tube with a characteristic two small holes.  This is called a snake bite puncture, and can dent/crack your rim if there's enough force.

To avoid pinch flats, start by adding more air to your tube.  It depends on the width of the tyre, but thin tyres could be 80-100 PSI or thick ones could be 30-60 PSI.

Second part of avoiding pinch flats is technique where you don't bulldoze your way through anything in your path.  Instead you dodge potholes, or bunny hop over them, or merely learn to "unweight" the bike as you touch an obstruction.  This means to get off the saddle and  slightly lift the bike as you roll over things.  That way there's less pressure on your wheel for the instant it is not on flat pavement.

One final help is to minimise the amount of weight on the bike.  I started at 110 kg and now am down to 95 kg, and my flats have dropped to ~3 a year when they were almost weekly to begin with.  You can also carry less/lighter stuff rather than heavier tools/pump etc.

tl:dr minimise and avoid, but can never eliminate completely.


The master link on the picture looks properly closed. Master links for 8- and 9-speed chains often do not require tools to open them, while 10/11/12/13-speed chains are better approached with special pliers.
Be, of course, sure that you use a master link that matches your chain and is not too wide, e.g. an 8-speed one for 8-speed chain, 9-speed for 9-speed etc.


What's the best way to track your performance?

I would recommend getting a Garmin and using Motion Based software to track your rides. They track all of the metrics that you mentioned.


Is it okay to store bike tires in unheated garage over winter?

Very cold and very hot are generally not good. Zinn has written an excellent article on this topic, and notes that Michelin recommends storing in 5C to 35C temperatures.

You should hang the tires, or keep them mounted and inflated. In general you want to avoid UV and ozone (so keep the tire away from a heater, if you put them inside), and store the tires in a cool, dark, well ventilated, dry place.

I'd say just throw the tires in the garage, even though 0 F is below the recommendation of Michelin; I've left bike tires on bicycles outside in the winter at those temperatures, and the tires are fine. Of course, there may be some life cycle reduction, but the risks are tiny overall.


By 'instability' let's assume you means something feels loose, and you can feel play on the the handlebars or fork  when you rock the bike with the front brake held on.

The first thing to do is isolate where play is. Its likely between the bars and the fork steerer tube or the steerer tube and the frame. Hold the frame steady and rock the bars. Hold the front brake on, grab the headtube and  and rock the frame, You should be able to tell where the play is.

The fix depends on whether you have a threaded steerer and quill stem, or an un-threaded steerer and clamp-on stem. The latter system is ubiquitous these days except on cheaper bikes.

If you have a un-threaded steerer and clamp-on stem, the stem holds the whole system together so if the stem is loose the headset bearings are loose. You probably did not have sufficient tension in the top cap when you tightened the stem. There are plenty of guides online that show you how to set preload tension in the headset bearings when the stem is installed or adjusted.

If you have a threaded steerer, if the stem is loose, just tighten it. if the headset bearings are loose they can be adjusted easily. Again there are plenty of guides online that show you how to do that.

Here's something to get you started:


Is a used 1998 LeMond Buenos Aires worth $450?

It's a well speced bike, Reynolds tubing is top quality. Given the 1998 price tag of $1300, I would say the current price is good. It will be harder to ride than a modern bike, but not by too much.

Watch out for rust around the bottom bracket covers and cable stops. Early model carbon forks can wear also. It's 8 speed, so still easy to buy chains and cassettes for.


Is this freehub a Shimano or Campagnolo type?

Google image search for 'Shimano Freehub'

Google image search for 'Campagnolo Freehub'

Comparing images, I'd say that is a Campy freehub. Shimano Hyperglide freehubs have shallower splines.

Personally I'd be a bit cautious about a seller that doesn't know or can't provide details about the wheels.


I'm not a 100% sure however I think the 'spring' in those forks was actually elastomers.

The linked Suntour fork appears to have the correct steerer type (threaded) and the steerer is long enough. A big problem though is the axle to crown length of the fork as it is 100m travel. It is likely that the Suntour fork that you linked to will be significantly longer than the originals. This can lead to undesirable handling and more importantly could cause the head tube to snap off the frame due to the increased loads. The Amazon listing shows the axle to crown length of the Suntour fork. Measure yours and compare the values. To measure extend the fork to its full length and measure from the centre of the axle to the underside of the crown race.

The crown race sits on top of the fork's crown and runs against the bearings. In the top down picture is is the stepped silver circle between the steerer and the dirt on the crown. You do not need to measure this as it is part of the headset. In the linked fork the crown race measurement of 30mm is the same as 1" 1/8.

You can reuse the current bearings. To do this you will need to (carefully) remove the crown race from the current forks and fit it to your new forks.

In my opinion it will probably be easier to find a suitable rigid fork than a replacement suspension fork.

If you do replace the forks I suspect that the original Marzocchi item might be worth attempting to sell on. In my country (UK) there is a strong market for retro parts, even broken.


What factors influence how easy it is to track-stand a bike?

The interplay between Head Angle and fork rake and trail are biggest factors influencing (low speed/no speed) bicycle handling.    Steep head angles and shallow trail values result in an increased sensitivity (more Twitchy) feels to steering input.

I would argue that these factors are factors that describe the handling responsiveness of a bike and not its track standing ability.... as what works for one person in a track stand may not be the preference of another....

Secondary contributors are bottom bracket height which will affect center of gravity, wheelbase length and chain stay length which effect stability.

Learning about these frame attributes and what works for you in which situation will not only help you identify what enables your track stand but also help in making informed frame selections by looking at spec sheets.

Finally, looking at your list, if I where to generalize without knowing the detailed specs... it seems you can track stand on bikes with shallow head angles with longer wheel bases/chain stay lengths.


Which is better, single speed or three speed?

Because of your interest, age and desire to ride a trike, I would recommend a 3 speed. Trikes are very heavy and if you are new to biking you may need an easier gear than what a single speed will offer stock on most trikes.


Consequences of having too low tyre pressure

As others have answered already, the most common problem with low pressure is pinch flats
I think with thick and inflexible sidewalls it can also damage the sidewalls of a tire over time. However if you have flexible, lightweight tires (e.g. cyclocross/gravel or performance oriented MTB tires) this shouldn’t be a problem.
At very low pressures the tire can “roll off” the rim in tight turns.
I think I’ve written this on StackExchange several times, but my favorite method for gauging minimal tire pressure is to put the front wheel on a sharp corner (e.g. edge of a curb or stair) and push down on the handlebars with your whole body weight. If you can press it down all the way to the rim the pressure is probably too low, unless you ride very carefully.
Of course low pressure increases rolling resistance, but with good, performance oriented tires the increase is surprisingly low.
The Schwalbe Smart Sam is a pretty good and supple tire. 40 psi (2.8bar) is low for a 37mm tire but can still be fine with a lightweight rider (how light are we talking here? 50kg? 60kg?) and bike. But you should be careful when riding over potholes, roots, tram tracks etc.
As a 65kg person I went as low as 2bar on 33mm tires in cyclocross.


new hand built wheel - loud spoke shivering sound when bounce unloaded

New wheels often make noise when the spokes settle. Avoid leaving tension in the spokes while building the wheel to avoid some of it.

Read http://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html#torsion

I don’t know the English word for the German „Abdrücken“, but it basically means pressing the wheel downwards like this with considerable force all around the wheel and from both sides. It will relieve the spokes facing downwards, releasing their tension and you’ll hear lots of *pling* sounds from the spokes when doing this. After doing that you’ll probably have to re-true. Rinse and repeat. If you do that thoroughly enough the spokes shouldn’t move any more during usage and you shouldn’t hear any *pling* sounds on your first ride.

A tensiometer is a good investment.


For the upper mounts, there are brackets that clamp on the seat stay or the seat post and provide the regular braze-ons.

I'm betting the p-clamps will hold more weight than the rack will, however try it well before your tour.


Rear cassette replace 11-30 with 11-32, or 11-28?

If the OP's bike has a short cage Shimano rear derailleur, then officially, the maximum cog size is 30t. Going down to 28t is definitely fine, but going over 30t is not technically OK. Shimano's compatibility specifications are known to be conservative, however, so in practice, a 32t cog should work. I would caution against exceeding the maximum cog size by more than 2 teeth, unless you also install items like Wolf Tooth's RoadLink, which extends the derailleur hangar.
I would very cautiously disagree with @BenStokes that you must necessarily lengthen your chain. The OP may find that your chain is long enough to handle the 11-32. I recently installed a pair of oversized pulley wheels on my road bike. The official recommendation is indeed to resize the chain, but in practice, my chain had adequate length to shift into the big ring, big cog combination. I would suggest that the OP can very cautiously try to shift into this combination in the bike stand (and not on the road). If the chain is at all reluctant to make the shift, stop moving the crank immediately and re-size it. With the amount of force you can generate with your hand, then even if the OP's chain is too short, the OP won't damage anything if they stop promptly. (This is why I suggest not trying this on the road; your legs can produce enough force to do considerable damage.)
Conversely, if the OP's bike had a medium cage Shimano derailleur, then technically, the smallest large cog is 30t, and an 11-28t cassette isn't officially compatible. However, I am actually running an 11-28 with a medium cage rear derailleur right now.
I have no current experience with SRAM or Campagnolo, but I believe the same recommendation (that you can exceed the official specs slightly) should hold true. I used to run a short cage Campagnolo 10s rear derailleur with a 13-29 cassette, i.e. exceeding the maximum tooth count by 4. I did this on advice received on forums that this could work, depending on the bicycle. Again, I would prefer to recommend that people don't exceed the maximum cog count by 4 teeth.


Info for replacing a shift cable housing

I would suggest replacing the inner as well as all the outers. If the inner is frayed at all, you will not be able to rethread it. The benefits of a new cable are much better shifting, to the point cables are considered a consumable by many riders - just like tires and brake pads.

Shifter cables are very generic and cheap - as low as $5 online for a set.

You will also need a cable cutter. Dedicated bicycles ones make the job fast and tidy. You can use heavy duty wire cutters, but needs more care and is less successful get tidy and fray free cuts. If you don't have access to a decent cutter, you could buy one for about $25. If you plan this to be a once only, the LBS will install a new cable cheaper than buying the tool.


Pain in the lower back and neck during cycling

Your bike fit should not cause you pain. Back pain, neck pain, knee pain, hand pain, elbow pain, etc are all signs of a problem; they shouldn't simply be ignored, and probably won't just go away on their own. Muscular soreness after pushing extra hard is really the only kind of pain you should get.

I suggest that you:

Get the bike fit to you. Many bike shops offer this as a service, and may discount it significantly with a new bike purchase. This will probably entail assessing your flexibility and changing out the stem and adjusting the seat position.
Increase your flexibility. Hamstring stretches, etc, so that you can bend at the hips more. Personally, I do this while coasting on the bike after I've warmed up.
Strengthen your core. Planks, etc. So you can hold that position better and longer. As long as you make an effort not to lean heavily on your hands, this should improve as you ride more.
You may also want a different helmet and/or sunglasses. Anything that blocks your vision when looking "up" will tend to force your head to tilt back more. You don't want a visor/peak on your helmet when riding "down low" on a road bike, and you may find that thick rims on the top of sunglasses are also a problem.

From your description ("when [...] in a low position"), I'm guessing that you're putting yourself in a lower position than you're flexible enough to really do right, and compensating for that lack of flexibility by curving your lower back too much and bending your neck back.

There's a lot of debate about ideal bike fit, but in general you want to be:

Bent mostly at the hips, with a bit of spine curvature (not too much).
Your upper back tilted back so that your neck doesn't have to bend too far back, which is facilitated by less lower-back curvature.
Shoulders down/forward and elbows slightly bent. Not leaning too heavily on your hands. You should be able to take your weight off your hands for a bit without shifting your position.

On a road bike, you'll typically spend most of your time with your hands on top of the drops, so that's the position to make the most sure you're comfortable in. But you want to be able to be reasonably comfortable down in a lower handlebar position ("in the drops") for windy situations, downhill sprints, etc.


Very short travel minimalist suspension fork for rails-to-trails riding

It sounds like you don't really need a suspension fork. The surfaces and conditions you describe are what gravel bikes are designed for - those don't have suspension forks, they just rely on larger tire volume and lower pressure (compared to road bikes).
Short travel suspension forks do exist, but if your frame is designed for a longer travel fork the required axle-crown length will very likely be longer than that available on a short travel fork. (Obviously the for longer travel the frame head tube needs to be higher to give the wheel somewhere to go when the fork compresses.)
Short travel forks will also be lower end and therefore lack adjustment and will be heavy.
I'd go with a rigid fork if you can find one the correct length. Of course another option is selling the MTB and buying a (used possibly) gravel bike.


Interrupter (cross) brake lever cable guide wedges?

When I wrenched for a cross team we just taped over the housing. We also would position the levers further out (unless you're running narrow bars.) Keep in mind there's no need to pull the tape so tight that it would bend the cable housing. You want to pull the tape just snug enough so it doesn't slip. If you get to the end of the bar and let go of the tape it shouldn't unravel. If it does you likely pulled it too tight. Also no need to use so much electrical tape at the end. If you want a really clean look cut end of the tape at a 45 degree angle so it lies flat when you finish wrapping and hold it in place with a dot of superglue.


How should a good CX riding position "feel" (alternative to highly scientific measurements...)

Most of your riding is on the hoods.  I race CX, city ride CX, and road ride on a CX.  I spend very little time in the drops.  In the city pretty much no time unless into a head wind.

On the hoods out of the saddle it should feel a lot like a mountain bike but no shock.  Come off a curb out of the saddle.  If you feel like you could go out the top it is too small.

Since you are not used to it you should feel only slightly stretched out.


Can I swap BMX wheels for a larger size?

If you are 5 foot 10 then you will be fine on a full size 20" wheel BMX. Each model size will be built for the specific wheel size, things like tire clearance and brake positioning will normally mean you can't increase the wheel size.

You might like to research how top tube length and bar rise affect the handling of a BMX for jumps and tricks. There is a question on BMX sizing here BMX Bike Sizing and Changing Parts? and probably lots more on the site to read through


The only real way to determine if a bike fits you is to sit on it and ideally ride it.

In addition to making sure the stand-over clearance and set height range are OK, you need to determine if the position of the handlebars relative to the seat works for you. Lower, forward bars means a more aggressive riding position, higher rearward bars allows a more relaxed riding position.


Surly Trucker Disc Compatibility with Ryde Taurus Rims

EDIT the wheel size for this bike model depends on the frame size!

26˝ wheels for frames 42, 46, 50–62 cm
700c (a.k.a. 28") wheels for frames 56–64 cm

So you need first to make sure that your bike runs wheel size 26", as Ryde Taurus rims are 26".

Having smaller wheels on a frame designed for bigger wheels is possible for disk brake systems, but it is not recommended unless you are certain (i.e. you have already tried it) you will be fine with changed (worsened) bike handling.

The same web page, "Complete bike parts kit" tab lists both 29" and 26" wheels as options, depending on frame size:

Tires (26˝) Continental Tour Ride, 26 x 1.75"
Tires (700c) Continental Contact, 700c x 37mm

The rims you mention have 19 mm inner width:

These rims should be compatible with the original 26" × 1.75" tires.

Note that you asked about frame vs wheel rims compatibility. You also mention hubs that you want to use; frame/hub, fork/hub and hub/rim compatibility issues are different question. In particular, the chosen rim should have the same number of spoke holes as the hub has, and that hub comes with hole counts varying from 28 to 36.


Is this to be expected or am I injuring myself by continuing?

You're probably injuring yourself by continuing. Muscle soreness is to be expected when you increase your exercise load, but exercise shouldn't cause joint pain. It sounds like your bike is set up reasonably, so you should probably seek out a sports physiotherapist.


What are the bumpy parts around the spindle of some pedals?

The 'official' tool that engages with that bumpy collar is the Shimano TL-PD-40 bearing shaft removal tool. It's a plastic tool designed to be used with a larger wrench, or a vice. Here's a pic:
TL-PD-40

If you're interested in servicing your pedals using this tool and others, here's a how-to from Park Tool: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/spd-pedal-overhaul


Those bolts need to be secured very carefully.

Use a torque wrench set to 5Nm to tighten the bolts, alternating a quarter turn at a time between them.
Use plenty of threadlocker on the threads.
Use grease or antiseize on the underside of the bolt heads. It’s also best to put some under that “8” shaped piece so it doesn’t rust onto the cleat.
Clean the sole of the shoe well with alcohol. Oils under the cleat will obviously help it slide around.
I also like to apply liquid candle wax or some other lipid on the exposed parts of the cleat mounting plate to prevent rust.

This may sound excessive, but I’ve never had an issue following this approach. On the contrary, every example I’ve seen of cleats falling off starts with “I just threw the cleats on carelessly”. Treat your cleats and cleat bolts with respect: they carry a lot of load and a lot of responsibility. You’ll be glad you did all this prep work when it comes time to replace your cleats three years later and the bolts are still firmly tightened, but also aren’t frozen in place with rust.
You should definitely bring this up with the shop. They obviously failed the cleat installation. Depending on how chewed up the soles are under the cleats, you might have a case for a new pair of shoes too.


Is it possible to get a slow leak straight after installing new tires?

I would more suspect a leaking valve.
If you pinch the tube putting it in then it is typically not a slow leak.

If the valve is removable the pull it and look for any debris or defect on the seat.
I had a set of cheap tubes that had like 1/2 loose valves.
Remove it with pressure in the tire to blow out debris you cannot get to.


What is the mechanical advantage of mechanical rim brakes and levers?

Levers:
Here calculating the mechanical advantage is easy. It is the distance from
pivot to fingers divided by the distance from pivot to cable anchor.
Examples for levers:

Dia Compe 287V V-brake drop bar levers: 75mm / 29mm = 2.6x (approximately)
Tektro RL520 V-brake drop bar levers: 72mm / 33mm = 2.2x (approximately)
Shimano BL-R400 drop bar levers: 72mm / 14mm = 5.1x (approximately)
Some cheap Shimano V brake flat bar levers: 60mm / 38mm = 1.6x (approximately)

Note that the mechanical advantage of drop bar levers depends on where your
fingers lie on the lever. The mechanical advantages here were for braking on
the drops. On the hoods the fingers cannot reach as far down on the lever, so
with my hands, the numerator of the division is only 63mm. Then the mechanical
advantage of Dia Compe levers drops to 2.2x, Tektro RL520 levers drops to 1.9x and of BL-R400 drops to 4.5x, but
of course it needs to be remembered that the fingers are in an inoptimal angle on the
hoods, so the brakes feel even worse than what you could assume solely based on the
theoretical mechanical advantage. On flat bar levers there is only one braking position.
Brakes:
For single pivot sidepulls, the mechanical advantage can be calculated by
dividing the horizontal pivot-to-anchor distance by vertical pivot-to-shoe
distance. I do not have any single pivot sidepulls here, but if I search for
pictures of old Campagnolo Record single pivot sidepulls, their mechanical
advantage seems to be around 1.0x.
Sorry I don't have any dual pivot sidepulls here and I cannot analyze their
complicated mechanism without seeing the brake in real life as opposed
to seeing it only in pictures on the Internet. Thus, I cannot
analyze the mechanical advantage of dual pivot sidepulls. Presumably
it is higher, but how much higher I cannot say. Feel free to edit
this answer or to provide another answer for dual pivot sidepulls.
I saw detailed enough pictures of dual pivot sidepulls here: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/dual-pivot-brake-service -- from picture in "6 CENTERING" I estimated (using pixel-level measuring tool of Gimp) that the less forceful arm has a mechanical advantage of 269.3/278 = 0.969x and the more forceful arm has a mechanical advantage of 444/206 = 2.155x. Because there is a forced centering mechanism, the average mechanical advantage is about 1.6x and it applies to both arms of the brake due to the forced centering mechanism.
Cantilever mechanical advantage calculation is a bit tricky. I have developed
software for calculating mechanical advantage of Shimano BR-R550 cantilevers on
Surly Long Haul Trucker 28" frame, where the vertical pivot-to-shoe distance is
31mm. On this frame, the Shimano Link Wire "E" gives a mechanical advantage of
1.5x. The Shimano Link Wire "F" gives slightly lower mechanical advantage.  A
benefit of cantilevers is that their mechanical advantage can be adjusted by
adjusting the straddle cable length (old brakes having the somewhat dangerous
straddle cable that can lock the brakes by dropping to a knobby tyre) or by
switching the link wire to one of different length (new brakes). A drawback of
cantilevers is that the mechanical advantage reduces when pads wear,
and is actually reduced as the pads move closer to the rim, so
mechanical advantage during free motion is high (bad as it means
low pad clearance) and mechanical advantage when pads have reached the
rim is lower (bad as it means low braking force).
There is an existing resource of cantilever geometry by Sheldon Brown but I believe it has a fatal
error in the mechanical advantage formulas: it uses the direct pivot-to-shoe distance
as opposed to the vertical pivot-to-shoe distance. Thus, it gives too low mechanical
advantages as the direct pivot-to-shoe distance is always longer than the vertical
pivot-to-shoe distance.
V brake mechanical advantage calculation is easy: divide the vertical
pivot-to-anchor distance by the vertical pivot-to-shoe distance.
Example on Surly Long Haul Trucker 28" frame having 31mm vertical pivot-to-shoe
distance:

Some cheap "MTB" Shimano V-brakes: 103mm/31mm = 3.3x
Shimano BR-R353 "road" V-brakes: 86mm/31mm = 2.8x

The mechanical advantage of V brakes cannot be adjusted as opposed to that of
cantilever brakes. The mechanical advantage of V brakes can vary from frame to
frame and from fork to fork, as the location of pivots does not have a standard
with millimeter level accuracy.
Final mechanical advantage:
The final mechanical advantage (multiplication of lever mechanical advantage
and brake mechanical advantage) should be between 4.0x (if you like lots of
hand force) and 9.0x (if you like little hand force). Ratios above 9.0x run out
of lever travel quickly and thus require adjusting the barrel adjuster very
often, have excessively small pad clearance, so the brakes rub if the rim is
even slightly out of true or if the rim or frame/fork flexes, and the brakes
still have lots of free motion in the lever despite the small pad clearance.
Ratios below 4.0x require very strong fingers to brake.
We can determine the following combinations to be compatible:

Old Campagnolo Record sidepulls + BL-R400: 5.1x
Dual pivot sidepulls + BL-R400: 8.1x
Surly LHT + BR-R550 cantilevers + BL-R400: 7.7x
Cheap "MTB" Shimano V brakes + cheap Shimano flat bar V brake levers: 5.3x
BR-R353 "road" V-brakes + cheap Shimano flat bar V brake levers: 4.5x
Cheap "MTB" Shimano V brakes + Dia Compe 287V drop bar V brake levers: 8.6x
BR-R353 "road" V-brakes + Dia Compe 287V drop bar V brake levers: 7.3x
Cheap "MTB" Shimano V brakes + Tektro RL520 drop bar V brake levers: 7.2x
BR-R353 "road" V-brakes + Tektro RL520 drop bar V brake levers: 6.1x

Based on this, it can be concluded that Tektro RL520 is probably best paired with "MTB" V brakes and Dia Compe 287V is probably best paired with "road" V brakes. With "MTB" V brakes, one obtains more tire clearance, so that's certainly an advantage.
We can also determine the following combinations to be incompatible:

Cheap "MTB" Shimano V brakes + BL-R400: 16.8x (too high!)
BR-R353 "road" V-brakes + BL-R400: 14.3x (too high!)
Old Campagnolo Record sidepulls + Dia Compe 287V drop bar V brake levers: 2.6x (too low!)
Old Campagnolo Record sidepulls + Tektro RL520 drop bar V brake levers: 2.2x (too low!)
Old Campagnolo Record sidepulls + cheap Shimano flat bar V brake levers: 1.6x (too low!)
Surly LHT + BR-R550 cantilevers + Dia Compe 287V drop bar V brake levers: 3.9x (too low, may be near the threshold of acceptability on the drops but not on the hoods!)
Surly LHT + BR-R550 cantilevers + Tektro RL520 drop bar V brake levers: 3.3x (too low!)
Surly LHT + BR-R550 cantilevers + cheap Shimano flat bar V brake levers: 2.4x (too low!)
Dual pivot sidepulls + Dia Compe 287V drop bar V brake levers: 4.2x (even though this is larger than 4.0x, I marked this as "incompatible" because the braking on the hoods is still lower than 4.0x)
Dual pivot sidepulls + Tektro RL520 drop bar V brake levers: 3.5x
Dual pivot sidepulls + cheap Shimano flat bar V brake levers: 2.6x

So, it is important to use V brake levers for V brakes and to use traditional
levers for cantilevers / sidepulls. By making the V brake arms shorter, the
mechanical advantage of V brakes can be reduced, but with standard frame stud
locations, it is impossible to have low enough mechanical advantage (for
traditional levers to be usable) and enough
tire clearance. Of course frame makers can play tricks by moving the studs
lower, so that the vertical pivot-to-shoe distance is increased and then the
mechanical advantage of "road" V-brakes (such as BR-R353) can be made so low
that they can in a pinch be used with traditional drop bar levers. Still, it's
not ideal to use V brakes with traditional drop bar levers, as the mechanical
advantage of the entire system is very high even if the frame maker has played those tricks.


I got answer from the support:

Due to the tool-free nature of endcap and freehub installation, there can be freehub play when the wheel is not installed in the frame. If you encounter the same movement when the wheel is in the bike, please contact your shop for service/warranty assistance.

Since the cassette is not wobbly when the wheel is installed everything is fine for me.