How comfortable is it to wear a u-lock holder this way?

tw: extreme anti-hipster /snark

Ahh! The u-lock belt holder. The perfect accessory for hipsters, literally:

Advantages:

Everyone will know you're a hipster
People may think you're into hardcore bondage
No ugly plastic u-lock holder marring the beautiful lines of your pristine lacquer-coated steel fixie
If you get mugged you have something to fight back with assuming you haven't parked and locked your bike
When you walk into a bar with your u-lock on your hip, all the other hipsters will admire your fashion sense and dedication to the art and science of hipsterism. They may even buy you a craft beer.

Disadvantages:

Everyone will know you're a hipster
People may think you're into hardcore bondage (thanks Mattnz)
Unless you're a bona fide bike messenger (who usually just carry their bikes into the delivery address rather than locking them up), you presumably don't have to wear your lock most of the day. So you have to keep your lock holder on you for the entire day, just for your 20 minute commute from Queens to Brooklyn
Everytime you change your trousers, you have to rethread your belt through it. Of course, real men never wash or change their jeans.
You are committed to wearing jeans or trousers with sturdy belt loop holes when you ride your bike. Then again, hipsters are allergic to lycra and would also never do a WNBR
if you fall while wearing it, it may hurt severely or actually cause you damage (thanks Criggie)
Hanging a 3 kg / 6 pound weight on your jeans is going to cause it to sag. But that's why you wear only the finest underwear.
Remember, too, that true hipsters do not tuck in their shirts -- so an empty holster would be hidden. So if you want that free craft beer from your fellow hipsters in admiration of your dedication to hipsterism, you need to carry two u-locks, one to lock your bike up outside the bar and other to carry on your hip properly holstered. Or you can go to the bar, sans bike.


A quick google suggest this bike is fitted with composite forks. I would follow the shops advice and replace them. In composite forks damage can be more substantial than is immediately obvious and fork failure could produce a horrible crash.

If the wait is too long for an exact replacement then there are after market alternatives (such as as exotic carbon forks or planet-x/on-one forks). The key dimensions to match are the steerer size (probably tapered), axle to crown measurement (measure between the underside of the crown bearing race and the centre of the axle) and the wheel attachment mechanism (quick release, through axle etc).

Even if longer term you wanted the 'correct' fork an after market item would allow you to use the bike until the oem item can be obtained.

Note the forks mentioned are available in the UK market, if you are none UK then these might not be an option for you.


My LBS called rockshox.  It looks like I had the right part number but it's moot because they don't make the springs anymore.


What are good bicycle workouts for a runner?

In the same way you train for your running you'll likely want to vary the rides you do on your bike.  Bicycles offer you the same options like:

Tempo ride: stay just below your lactate threshold
Interval training

Find a long flat section of road
Go above your LT for a bit, then a little below for a bit (stay above 70% of LT)
Many times this is 1 minute "on", 2 minutes "off"
Eventually you'll want longer intervals of 5 minutes "on", 8 minutes "off".

Find some terrain

My personal favorite.
Bikes cover so much distance while training that you can just pick different routes and go

Mountain biking

The terrain is constantly forcing you up and down, you're performing dynamic moves
You max your HR, then coast, then jump a log, the 5 quick intervals over hills, etc.

Slogging away miles on a bike probably wouldn't translate across sports as well as you'd like so I see your best benefit to come from strengthening and just plain having fun!


Mountain bike shorts has an attached inner pair of shorts w/ padded liner...should I detach the inner shorts from the shorts?

The inner garment will be for replacement underwear - and will have a close fit to provide "support and control", duplicating the shorts that roadies might wear.

The outer covering will be fairly loose and baggy, and is mostly for aesthetics, to hide the inner layer, and to provide some level of abrasion resistance in case you fall and slide.   Not much protection, but some.

If you cut the cords at the hem, the outer layer could ride up in the wind and show the inner layer, and MTB types generally don't admit to wearing lycra even when its for comfort not performance.

If you cut the cords at the waist as well, you'll simply separates them into two disjoint items of clothing and they should work fine separately.

For future readers, these shorts and the insert are often gender-specific too, so things might be uncomfortable if its not a suitable style for you.

Additionally, you're not supposed to wear anything inside the inner layer, so no underwear please.  Just make sure the inner layer is pulled up quite "high" and the material rides close to the skin all around.


What makes a bike stay upright when moving?

This question was recently the subject of a lengthy article in New Scientist magazine. To summarize:

  "Why does this bicycle steer the proper amounts at the proper times to assure self-stability?" the paper asks. "We have found no simple physical explanation."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028141.700-bike-to-the-drawing-board.html

This article also cites the study that you could not quite place - gyroscopic forces, for so long thought to be the be all and end all of bicycle stability - have been scientifically proven to not be of the consequence popularly imagined.

As for staying upright on a roller, that is not covered by the article, however, it does discuss what happens when you send a bike off down the street with nobody on it - seemingly the weight and steering adjustments made by the rider have nothing to do with it.

I don't think that the New Scientist article is the last word on the subject. However it is recent (a few weeks old) and is a good introduction to the mystery. Enjoy!


Tubless rims with non tubeless tires -- what rim tape?

Tubeless tape is an acceptable substitute for any rim strip and, in many cases, will likely be an improvement over factory-installed rim strips. Just be certain to apply the correct width of tubeless tape (it should cover the entire width of the rim's interior from bead to bead) and prepare the rim's interior surfaces well by thoroughly cleaning/removing any residue from the previous rim strip adhesive, and any single threads from the beads if it was a cloth type of rim tape. Also ensure that the valve body hole is taped over first, then punctured only as much as is absolutely necessary to press the valve through as that helps with forming and retaining the airtight seal when switching to tubeless.


To reduce your speed significantly while on dry roads, I recommend front brake first and hardest, because the front wheel will have most grip. If you only want to lose a little speed (but more than soft-pedalling), and gently at that, e.g. in a group riding situation to prevent others running into the back of you, then rear-brake only.

On wet roads or loose surfaces you must avoid locking the front-wheel, so brake evenly and simultaneously front and rear. You have a chance of controlling a rear-wheel that is locked and skidding; that control is unlikely to extend to a locked and skidding front wheel.

If it is icy and extremely slippery, consider rear-brake only and don't go too fast to begin with!


A further suggestion: before your last training ride but after most of your training miles, get the bike looked over by an expert. This probably means booking it in to a shop for a service (clean it first) but it could mean instructions and/or an knowledgeable friend. This would also be a good time to get some tough tyres put on if they're in the budget.

Also (things that have caught me out on long day-rides etc.):

Carry tubes as well as patches  (which are a pain in the wet).
Test your pump from flat before you go.
Try out your clothing as well as your bike.
Figure out your navigation. For example I like a smartphone in a cheap top tube bag, displaying a route prepared in comfort but not turn-by-turn directions. There's free software that uses openstreetmap (also free). Others take different approaches. If your distance is a challenge to start with, getting lost really saps your willpower. But of course you may want to explore along the way.
Carry full finger gloves even if you don't think you need them; carry fingerless as well if you're prone to getting hot
Get on the bike as much as possible before then. Even if it's just going to the shop the day after a long ride.


The only time I've seen pedals in a newish bike strip out of the crank was when the mechanic who assembled the bike overtightens the pedals (the mechanic was a younger me, but you live and you learn.) Often, people will forget that left pedals are left-hand threaded and will strip them out when they try to remove them.

The mechanical motion of pedaling causes metal-metal mating surfaces to fret - microscopic motion back and forth causing noticeable wear. If this were a bike from the 70's with aluminum cranks it wouldn't be a surprising failure mechanism. However, since these are new bikes, the most likely explanation is that who ever assembled these bikes tightened the pedals too much. There is no way a child could be riding the bicycle enough to cause a pedal to strip out. To have it happen three times is incredibly unlikely, though.

I'd avoid buying department store bikes and refer to your local bike shop for any repairs or replacements.


Is "Greased Lightning" safe to use for bicycle cleaning?

In the kitchen section of their web site GreasedLightning says to avoid painted or aluminum surfaces. In my case that is 90% of my bike


Brake cable housing doesn't attach to lever

OK. Thanks for the additional info.

Start by making sure that the brake cable is connected to your drop lever. Check this out: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/shift-levers-shifters. The cable itself has a metal tab crimped onto the end that connects it to the lever. (Find the relevant photo. The brake cable is the larger cable. If this doesn't look familiar, you can search for more specific instructions on brake cable replacement for your particular STI model).

If the cable is correctly seated in the lever, make sure the cable hasn't become unclamped at the cable yoke (the metal bit which connects to your straddle cable linking the two sides of your cantilever calipers). You should be able to gently pull down on that yoke and feel the pull of the lever when you depress it. You can read Sheldon Brown's instruction on canti adjustment here: http://sheldonbrown.com/canti-trad.html

Make sure before you make any adjustments that the housing is seated at all of the cable stops. Also make sure that you are relatively confident in your skills here. Your front brake provides MOST of your braking force. If in doubt, definitely bring it back to the shop you purchased it from.


Shimano BR-R650 long reach calipers compatible with Paul Components Canti Levers?

Super SLR mismatches in this direction result in mushy feel and needing to get the gap between the pads and rim smaller than normal to avoid bottoming out the lever. You'll get brake rub from wheel flex and out of trueness that would otherwise be negligible. It's a lesser version of the problems you'd have putting a v-brake on a short pull lever. It's enough to notice but not so bad it doesn't work. You'll have to live with having taken two nice components and made a mediocre system out of them. It will feel and perform way better if you just get a Tektro brake of the same reach and call it a day.


Generally speaking, when a pedal works its way loose and is ridden for a decent amount of time, it does strip (and thus ruin) the crank arm. The only way you can be sure that the crank arm is good is to inspect it. So I'd guess your crank arm is damaged (especially if its at the point where you can't loosen the pedal).

A picture of how its bent in would be helpful, but theres a decent chance that both parts will have to be written off.


Does there exist a non-electric bike that can go 60mph (95 km/h)?

The problem with going 60 mph (assuming level ground, no wind, etc) is not gearing, which is an easy problem to solve. It's aerodynamics. Aerodynamic drag increases roughly with the square of your speed, and to get up to 60 mph on a conventional bike, you'd need to produce about 4000 W—which some sprinters can do for a few seconds.

So to go anything like that fast, you'd need to be in an aerodynamic HPV. The current hour record for a streamliner HPV is about 90 km, still short of 60 mph, although over sprint distances, HPVs have gotten up to 144 kph.

However, these would be completely impractical for mass-start events like the Tour de France, so you can't easily extrapolate to what a mass-start HPV race would look like, or what speeds people would achieve, because the bikes would need to be significantly different. Some of these record-attempt HPVs have no windows at all, and rely on cameras and TV screens for outward visibility; the ones with windows have extremely limited visibility. Riders are taped in, and could not easily get out to change a flat, for example.

Also, drafting plays an extremely important role in (conventional) bike racing. Because the benefits of drafting would be greatly reduced in HPV racing, those races would essentially turn into time trials.


Front Mountain Bike Cable Disk Brake Is Too Snappy on First Pull

I  removed my brake pads and sprayed the pads and disk with some good cleaner and so far it has been a success.  Thanks for the help.


Can I replace a 9spd freehub with a 7spd one?

As you suspected, you may not run a 7 speed free hub with a 9 speed hub shell.  You will need a new 9 speed free hub, and continue to use the spacer ass you have been.

Hubs are not generically sized.  Each model is sized for the number of gears it is expected to work with.  Replacing the freehub will mess with your dropout spacing, or the position of the gears in relation to the wheel, or both.  It can also prevent the bearing adjustment from working properly.


Can I replace my Shimano RX 100 with a Campagnolo group?

As Pete H has commented, a partial swap will probably not work out.

On frames / bikes of this age, things were easier as compatibility was not quite so much of an issue, so some elements could probably work together OK - but if you are not sure / inexperienced, best is to swap everything.

Worth checking, though, that the threads for the bottom bracket on both frames are the same - some Concordes used to be Italian threads, your existing frame may be Enlish and they are not interchangeable.

To check which you have, measure the width of the shell, width-ways (i.e don't try and measure the diameter) excluding the cups that screw into it - 70 mm Italian, 68 mm English.


It won't work. The two systems have different cable pulls.

Buy a SRAM (or Friction) shifter if you want to use the SRAM derailleur or buy a Shimano derailleur.

Either option is about the same cost (though if one is cheaper, the Shimano derailleur will probably be the cheaper one). You just need a 7-9 speed Shimano derailleur with sufficient capacity and cog sizes -- the Altus M-310 8 speed derailleur looks to be about 16 USD at the moment, which is probably adequate.


I could not find the SpeedZone Sport Double Wireless ANT+ manual on line but I did find the SpeedZone Sport Manual on line and here are the spec's

I would expect the SpeedZone Sport Double Wireless ANT+ model to be similar.  A agree with the comments that say a bit below should work fine but too much below and you will likely lose the Liquid Crystal Display until the unit warms back up to within the specified operating range


If I do not easily notice a bent frame at first sight, it tells me it cannot not be that bad to compromise the frame integrity. When you ride the bike, do you feel it handling weird, or shaky? if it doesn't, then I would conclude the bent frame is inconsequential. Personally, one of my bikes has a bent frame which I didn't noticed it for the first few months. Been riding it for 4 years since then and it's never been issue in handling or otherwise and I've ridden in long rides (15-20+ miles) and at considerable speeds (17-19 mph)

The loose hub, as it has been mentioned before, it could as easy as tightening the bearings cups or as bad as needing a new hub. Without a video or personally inspecting it, it hard to give proper advice.

If the frame is toasted, I would consider two options: donate it to a bike co-op so it can be used for spare parts; or find a similar bike on CL and keep this one for spare parts.

Also, a bike co-op will work with you to either fix your bike or allow you to pick another one in exchange for the one you have.


Adaptive seats because of Total Knee Replacement

There’s a company called Rans

http://www.ransbikes.com/

that makes bikes that they call crank forward.  You might say it’s halfway between a recumbent and a conventional bike.

They cost more than I would be inclined to pay, but your seat will be back.


My square taper crank was partially extracted in accident. What to do?

Hope you're ok!

Agree with the first comment on the Q. It's hard to discern what's going on from the picture.

Your crank is held on to the bottom bracket (the axle/bearing combination to which the crank arms bolt) by being jammed up on the wedge shaped tapered spindle  (axle) of the bottom bracket. This is done by placing the crank arms onto the spindle and tightening down the bolts that hold them in place until the crank is forced up onto the spindle.

For the crank arm to come off, it either has to break badly (altho it's hard to imagine how this could happen) or the arm has to slide off the spindle. For THIS to happen, though, the crank arm bolt that forces the crank arm up onto the spindle and holds it there needs to be missing.

Perhaps your crank arm bolt had fallen out previously and the cran arm was just hanging on due to being wedged on? If this is the case,.consider yourself lucky -- you found out about the missing bolt in an easy manner (assuming your crash didn't hurt too badly) -- if your crank came off in traffic, it could have been catastrophic.

Check to see if there's a missing bolt that holds the crank arm in place. It would match the other side. (There's a few different styles.) If you need a new bolt, you can get them from a shop. Crank arm bolts need quite a bit of force to push crank arms onto the spindle (but not too much!) -- they're often out on with a torque wrench. Your shop could probably do that for you for a few bucks.

Also, and this is important, make sure the metal around the hole didn't crack in the crash (or previously). Cracked cranks do happen and are a cause for crank arm bolts to come loose. Maybe take the loose arm to the shop with you to get a 2nd pair of eyes on it.

Good luck!


How to chose a right sized mountain (or all-terrain) bike for a kid?

It's hard to answer that question, because people and bikes can be built in many different ways. Bike fit is a complex art, but here's the crude and simple version: have the rider straddle the bike's top tube, feet flat on the ground. If there isn't at least a couple inches of space between bike and crotch, then the bike is too big. On the other hand, you don't want it so small that your knees are hitting the handlebars while pedaling.

For a bike that's mainly ridden on pavement, you want the seat high enough so that the legs are almost fully extended at the bottom of the stroke. For off-road riding, or for kids that are still learning to ride, you want it lower.


I'm guessing that they were talking about replacing the rear cassette with a freewheel. However, you can convert pretty much any bike with a rear cassette to a single speed with single speed conversion kit like this one:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=1764&category=2621

And a chain tensioner like this one:

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=47140

NB: I don't necessarily recommend either one of those products or the store that I found them on. They're just examples. You can actually even "hack" your own single speed conversion by dismantling a couple of old cassettes and using the spacers in the same way that you use the larger spacers on the ready-made conversion kit.


What is the best aero position in a mountain bike?

Caveat: As mentioned by @R.Chung if you are uncertain, it is best to seek clarification from your coach.  You are after all paying for their services.

Short Answer

Bike positioning is always a compromise between goals, flexibility and ability. There are different aero positions and each will have different strengths and weaknesses (see my suggestions section).  I suspect the exact aero position isn't too much of a concern to your coach, rather s/he is likely interested in getting you to do  efforts in a more closed position to get you prepared for riding in an aero position during a race.

What follows is a more detailed explanation.

Why train in an aero position for XC racing?

As previously stated, I suspect the coaching exercise is to get you used to working hard in a closed body position. All aero positions will get the trunk of your body lower (to reduce your frontal area, making you more slip  through the air with less effort). Similar to road racing,  XC racing can also be a game of marginal gains.  If you can cut more drag on long flat sections than another rider, you might be able to pick up a position or maintain your positioning with less effort.

While aero positions can be useful in a race, a closed body position also affects your pedal stroke and your sustainable power output (typically reduced power) as you will be recruiting your muscle groups differently due to a different hip and back posture than you spend most of your riding hours in.  If you never train in this body position, it won't be an efficient position for you to ride in come race day.  Furthermore, spending time in this position it will also require you to hone your the stabilizer muscles needed to maintain that position.

In all likelihood your coach is trying to give you some training time in this type of position.  The exact aero position chosen will likely not matter too much, as long as you have a closed body position so you can train muscle recruitment and stabilizers.

Some Suggestions

My suggestion (confirm with your coach) would be to try a variety of positions (the two you found pictures of is a good starting point), but stick to one aero position per interval effort.  Then in each successive effort try a different posture. This will let you get a feel for how your body works.

In the two pictures you included, the first aero position one will have the lowest frontal area (aka fastest) as your arms are tucked in, but this will make the bike less stable and is likely not a good choice for rougher terrain.  The second position you show sacrifices some frontal area for stability.  Both have a reduced trunk angle, so both will work on your ability to recruit pedalling muscles while in a closed trunk position.

As a side note, you can also use the training time to find the best aero body trunk angle.  If you go too low you will lose more power than you save in reduced drag, too little of an angle and you may still be working too hard against the wind. Keep an eye on the transect between power (if you got it), speed and heart rate to try and find the best compromise for your current flexibility and training.

The "right" compromise is very rider specific and can change over time with training.


Let's take a quick look at some of your bigger goals:

  One day possibly enter into a local race
  Try to hit and maintain a 20+(hitting close to 30 would be nice) mph base speed (currently can do about 15-17 on an exercise bike but not sure how that compares to actual riding).
  Morning rides of about 20-30 miles with weekend rides hoping to hit 100 miles.

All of these goals would suggest a bike with a lower riding position (i.e., what you termed "flat back") that is generally indicative of a sport road bike with drop bars, rather than a hybrid with flat bars. The lower riding position (more horizontal back) means you present less frontal area to the wind, the lower drag makes higher speeds easier to maintain.  Lowering your drag is necessary for racing or riding at high speeds (hitting and maintaining 30 mph on the flat without assistance is not trivial). I would term this a more aggressive road/sport geometry.

While, a road/sport geometry may be needed for your ultimate goals, it also requires flexibility and core muscle strength to maintain such a position, especially if you wish avoid injury.  For many road cyclists this is a position that is honed over time after building up flexibility and strength. The body can accommodate all sorts of bad postures, but they can catch up with you.  Given that you are already dealing with injuries, I would be cautious on this front.

As an anecdote, after improving my flexibility in my 40's I ride a position that is 1 inch longer (i.e., handle bars are 1 inch farther away) than when I was in my 20's - the handle bar height has not changed. I had worse mid-back flexibility when I was younger, which lead me to unknowingly adopt a compensatory  posture which eventually lead to worse flexibility and  back pain. This did however eventually work out in my favour as it lead me to focus on flexibility and core strength and ultimately better posture on the bike (and life in general).

As such, I would suggest that start with a bike that gives you a more upright position, one that you hopefully you find more comfortable. Hybrids definitely feature this upright position, but some drop bar road bikes  (e.g., endurance, gravel, adventure - and other market speak) also have a more upright position despite having drop bars.  Race road bikes typically have a more aggressive position, and should be generally avoided until more experience has been gained.

The bike geometry that you may need for the long term goals (highlighted above) may not be the right bike geometry for you right now.  Be prepared to change over time, this may mean simply changing the bike setup (e.g., lowering the bars), re-configuring or even selling and buying again.

Good luck.


What to look for when buying bicycles for children

To answer your specific questions first:

wrt weight: you are paying less for the children's bikes than for your own I hope? (they'll only fit on it for a few years after all) so kids' bikes use cheaper materials, cheaper usually means heavier in cycling gear. Don't expect to match your racer, but twice as much is a bit much even for a cheap model. Shop around a bit more.
Tires: Wider tires are more stable because of the wider surface and because the higher tire weight that comes with width increases gyroscopic stability of the tires. Width, and the thickness that comes with it means the tires can take more of a beating going over bumps, ridges, ledges and sidewalk edges. So actually wide/heavy tires save you time in money in patches both for your kids and for the tires.

As for things to look for:

Make sure the bike just barely fits your kid now (i.e buy maximum workable size), that way you can use the bike for a few years with just some adjustment to handlebar/saddle height.
Make sure you can add something like a flag on a long (high) pole to the bike. That way your kid is still visible from the other side of parked cars etc.
Brake quality is a big issue, especially if you are going out on the road with your kids, more so if the route is slightly hilly.
avoid bikes with gears unless you like spending your weekends cleaning and fixing bikes. Less gears=less maintenance.
Regarding the tire issue, and my point about bike size: when considering multiple bikes: get the bike with the largest tires. Larger tires=higher gyroscopic force=more stable and all at the same weight.
Don't overspend. Your kid is not going to be as careful with his/her bike as you are. You shouldn't be wincing every time they just let the bike fall to the ground where they stopped.


My front brakes contact the rim at different times instead of simultaneously. Is that normal or are they misaligned?

When I lightly apply the brakes only one part makes contact with the wheel

There are two adjustment screws (Spring tension centering screw on the picture below) which are meant to center pads of V-brakes. Screwing one in makes a corresponding pad to move farther from the rim, screwing it out does the opposite. It makes sense to loosen one screw a ¼ turn and simultaneously to tighten the opposite one by the same ¼ turn, control the result and repeat it until you are satisfied with the alignment.

my brakes don't feel as "tight" or responsive anymore.

Pads wear over time, which makes their surface to be farther away from the rim. This feels at the brake lever, it has to travel more until the pads hit the rim. This can be compensated by either screwing out the adjusting barrel at the lever (the picture below), or, if that option has been exhausted, by repositioning the cable at the brake cable anchor bolt (the picture above).

However, if you see the need to re-tighten the cable at the bolt, if often means that the pads are already almost worn. At this point, replacing the brake pads may be a better solution. Of course, with new pads the adjusting barrel has to be returned back all the way into the lever to allow future wear adjustments.


In my humble experience with extensive crashing during mountain biking, including a lot of over-the-bar experiences and a few cases when I broke bones, before you hit the dirt, clipless pedals magically disengage themselves. In reality, being clipped is your least problem.

You really need to slowly stop the bike and then fall on a side to still remain being clipped in.

P.S. Just read the comments and discovered that it is not just me who observed magical disengagement of clipless pedals in the course of a crash.


Do riders bodies go numb after hours of riding?

Yes - numbness denotes a problem with bike fit or a thermal problem.  Here's my personal experience.

Fingers - riding a MTB with "ergonomic" grips, the sort with a wee wing that rests under your palm.  With these I get numb fourth and fifth fingers on both hands.  It takes a three hour ride to start, and if I go 4+ hours then the numbness can last into the evening.
Feet/toes - I have road shoes that are perhaps too small.  If I wear thick socks by mistake, I can lose feeling in toes, again after a long ride.  Answer there is better-fitting shoes, but the interim fix is thin socks.
Neck - More sore than numb, but a generic helmet often has a brim or visor.  This is fine for a MTB but makes you lift your face more on a road bike, leading to a sore neck.  Unclipping the visor is a cheap and easy alievement.
Backside - an upright posture puts more weight on your saddle, via your bum.  A good saddle holds the sit-bones, and not the softer tissues.  A poor saddle presses the wrong things and makes a ride uncomfortable, and numb.  The fix is a saddle replacement, or temporarily spend more time on your feet/pedals and be less efficient but less sore.
`nads - this one is related to repeated friction inducing chafing more than numbness.  A ride under 20 km doesn't need special clothes generally.  Longer rides you'll appreciate padded pants.  A bad fit will leave somewhere scraping back and forth every pedal revolution.

Personal Story - A flat singletrack MTB course with minor ups and downs, made my padded pants drop a little so the pad's seam was rubbing on the top of the thigh.  I wore a blister that popped.  Since it was around the corner I couldn't see how bad it was, but the hot shower made it quite obvious.  The fix?  tighter pants and pull them up.  No underwear underneath, and last resort is to apply some kind of friction-reducing cream.

Cold - if you're cold you're going to go numb.  Earlobes, nose, cheeks, fingers/toes, and limbs.  I also notice a cold stomach when I stop.  This is exacerbated by the wet.

Personal story - I once rode through a deep unexpected puddle of snow-melt and got wet up to mid-calf.  My shoes were light "hard drive bag" open-weave.  And then I had to ride ~20km home through a cold easterly wind.  When I got off the bike, I could not feel one foot at all.  The numb sensation did not go away with a hot shower - it took a full 24 hours to vanish completely.
Thermal generally - be prepared to pull up or roll down your sleeves, unzip your top while riding.  If you have an uphill ahead, drink 2 minutes before the start and open all the vents.  If you have a fast downhill coming, button things so you don't get chilled on the way down while coasting.
Rain - if its predicted to rain, consider not riding, or take the wet-weather bike with mudguards/fenders and treadded tyres instead of the slick roadbike.  Take/Wear a waterproof outer layer and put it on if it does start to drizzle.


First, for most purposes, it doesn’t really matter what year your bike was made.

Second, I was curious and I Googled. There’s little information about this particular model, and I can’t find an exact match.

That said, my guess is that the frameset is from the early 2000s, probably pre-2004. Raleigh USA’s 2004 catalog shows a Professional model with an aluminum frame and carbon seat stays. By my recollection, aluminum with carbon stays had a brief moment of popularity around that time. Your frame does look like an aluminum frame, but it doesn’t look like it has carbon seat stays. So, let’s guess pre-2004. (Note: see answer by @DeleterUser - this bike is likely a 2002 Professional, which should have a steel frame.)

The components look like Campagnolo Centaur or Chorus. In the early 2000s, those were all polished silver components. That corroborates that this was an early 2000s frame. I doubt those components came stock, however. Nearly all OEM specifications were Shimano components. (Note: see answer by @DeleterUser - the 2002 Professional came stock with a Chorus/Centaur mix.)

I’m less familiar with Mavic wheels, but those look like the first or second generation of Ksyrium SSC wheels. Looking at Mavic's history page, they appear to have introduced the Ksyrium in 1999. In 2002, they filed a patent for milling the rim in between the spokes. That should be the second generation Ksyrium. It looks like your rim has some silver in between the spokes, which means it should be that milled version. If your wheels are anodized black between the spokes, then that's a first generation Ksyrium. Of course, the wheelset could have been bought at a different time from the frameset, and they probably sold the first generation Ksyriums alongside the second generation ones for a few years. (Note: see answer by @DeleterUser - this probably isn't the stock wheelset, although if my identification is correct, the wheelset is definitely from a similar era.)

Side note: you need to close that front brake. There’s a small sliding button on the levers near where the brake lever pivots. Push it in.


Unable to get a tube replacement to last

There is a mark in the middle of the valve stem as if something has pressed against it:

Given that it was a fresh new tube, it likely means that it had been installed with the valve protruding at a sharp angle from the rim hole. Externally, it will look like this:

This is bad because the air pressure creates additional uneven stress to the rubber around the valve. Which, in turn, may cause a blowout at the end of the metal tube of the valve, or even tear the whole piece apart.
At the installation time, while the air pressure is not too high (but not zero), pull the valve up with hand to ensure that it sits at an angle as straight as possible to the rim surface. If it is already stuck, deflate the tire again and repeat the attempt.
While you are dealing with the problem and have your rim exposed for inspection, check that the valve hole is smooth on its edges both inside and outside:

Any sharp burrs left in it will rub against the valve, which will also weaken it and will create a possibility for a blowout.


Mountain Biker wanting to change to cyclo or road? Which one?

I've had a hardtail mountain bike for a few years, and used it for all kinds of rides -- singletrack, rail trails, roads.  A few months ago I got a cyclocross bike (Norco Threshold) in addition to the mountain bike.  So I'm in pretty much exactly the situation you describe.

I am enjoying the cyclocross bike and I feel like it's made me about 3-4mph faster.  I am surprised that I like the drop handlebars better (more comfortable) than the straight handlebars on the mountain bike.

I already had a set of slick tires for the mountain bike that I installed for road rides, and switched back to knobby tires for singletrack rides.  If I only had knobby tires, the speed difference would probably be even greater.

The Specialized Crux that you're considering seems like a pretty good choice.  It has 38mm tires out of the box, which is nice especially since you're used to mountain bike tires.  Tires of that size have a much less harsh ride than thinner tires (28mm), and don't slow you down (people used to think that, but research has shown that it's not the case).

Two things to consider about that bike: The brakes are cable/hydraulic hybrids; there is a brake cable that connects to a hydraulic piston.  I'm not sure if those are as good as regular hydraulic brakes; there is probably a bit of friction in the cable.  The other thing is the gearing: for hills you might want an 11-32T cassette instead of the 11-28T.  Depends on how strong you are and how steep the hills are.

If you care about riding in the winter, go to a Specialized dealer and ask if you can install fenders on that bike, and what size tires will work with fenders.  To attach fenders, you generally need eyelets (threaded holes in the frame). If the frame doesn't have any of those, it makes it very difficult to mount fenders.


How should I reinstall parts on my axle when I forgot what order they were in?

Being a flip flop hub this is easier than it might be otherwise, because flip flop hubs, like rim brake front hubs, are pretty much universally spaced to build a dishless wheel. If that's true, all you need to do is configure the spacers so that the flanges are equidistant from the locknut faces.
Once you've figured out which spacers go on which side, the order of the spacers doesn't matter unless there are rubber seals that need to interface with them, in which case it does matter. Big thin spacers like the one in the middle of your picture often hold down the lip of Parallax-style contact seals. Usually if you do have a rubber seal to deal with, it becomes obvious what spacers need to be sitting under the one that holds it down, because incorrect configurations will either squish the seal or gap it out.
Some of the spacers/washers in your stack look like they could be axle nut washers. I'll assume they might be, and also that there are no witness marks to guide you in figuring out whether they are or not. Unless it's old or weird, a hub is going to be trying to conform to one of the mainstream OLDs. In this case presumably it's a 120 bike. If you don't know whether some of the parts are supposed to be axle washers, measure the OLD with or without them included. Whichever is closest to 120 is likely to be right, i.e. if including them in the stack gets you something random like 127.3, they're washers, not spacers.
I'll also assume you don't know that the wheel was dished perfectly and/or that you don't have a means of checking dish, although it can be done with improvised tools. If you knew the wheel was true and dished before taking the hub apart, you could figure out which spacers go on which side going only by which configuration restores it to being perfectly dished.
Once you know everything that's supposed to be in the stack, measure the actual OLD of the hub, which will be the same regardless of the order the parts are in. It will be some number very close to 120. For any dishless hub, that number divided by two is the distance between each locknut face and the plane that bisects the flanges. Get a measurement of one side of the hub's distance from the center plane between the flanges to the cone face. If you know the flanges are equidistant from the cone faces this is easy; it's the distance between the cone faces divided by two. If this were a front, fixed/fixed, or free/free hub you could do that, but if fixed/free it could be asymmetrical. I usually do it by hugging around the flanges with a caliper, taking half of that number, and then squinting at the caliper with one blade against the outside of the flange and the other hanging in space lined up above the outer face of the cone, then add those numbers together.
Once you have an accurate measure of one side's distance between the center plane between the flanges and the cone face, all you have to do is build up a stack of the axle hardware that matches exactly half of the hub's OLD, or comes closest. Then put everything else on the other side. That is how you would do this with no information. A lot of the same steps and ideas are needed to replace cones (which it looks like you need to do) when the race profile matches but the length doesn't.


Grabbing the attention of the person ahead of you while bicycling

You already known the answer (2), but do not seem to care much for it.  The reality is that you are the fastest user on the shared path thus you bear the most responsibility.

I would suggest

When approaching, slow down to an appropriate speed.
Make an attempt to notify (bell or calling out), even if they have head phones on.
If they do not respond or move, then further adjust your speed and position on the path appropriately to ensure you can safety pass.

Because you are moving faster, you have the most momentum and will therefore inflict the most damage in the event of an accident.  If the other party is unaware of your presence then you bear most of the responsibility here. (A couple weeks ago I attended a multi-use path crash where one user had their face caved in due to the speed of the other user.  You would be surprised the damage that can be inflicted.)

The reason I would call out or ring a bell even if they may not hear you is liability in the event of an accident.

Finally, it pains me that many complain about the way that some motorist bully cyclists on shared road ways, then go on and do the same to pedestrians or other slower users on shared pathways.


For what you are asking about I would recommend buying a used kid trailer (for about $50 - $150), cutting off the fabric and adding some kind of floor/bin.  Interestingly enough most child trailers are rated for up to 100 pounds were as the BOB trailer is only weighted for 75 (if I remember correctly).

The only advantage of a BOB or Extra wheel trailer is that they single wheel trailers.  This means they can handle faster cornering and are narrower for roads.  They also cost basically the price of a new bike.

See here: Converting kid trailer to cargo trailer


What sort of bottom bracket does a Trek 1.5 2011 take?

From Trek's archives and Bikepedia, it looks like that bike has an FSA Vero compact crankset (no mention of the bottom bracket (BB)).

From the Amazon page for the FSA Vero Compact it appears the crank is compatible with a JIS square taper bottom bracket.

JIS square taper bottom bracket is a common type of cotterless bottom bracket, available from many manufacturers.

You'll need to check that the bottom bracket shell sizing and threading matches the BB, too.

You will need a special tool to get the crank off and another for the BB.

See also:

Sheldon Brown on Cotterless Crank removal
John Allen on Cartridge BBs
Park Tool on Cartridge BB servicing
Park Tool on BB tool selection
Park Tool on Cranks


You should connect the holes visible in fig. 2 using the screw in fig. 1. It is not very well visible, but the small piece should accept an Allen key and it is screwed from the rear side (see first picture below). It should ultimately be screwed into the bigger piece marked in the other picture below.

I marked the relevant place on a photograph from pedalpedlar.co.uk. I hope this counts as fair use.


Will a dehumidifier dry out the lubricants on my bike?

No.  Here's a vague, handwavy descrption of why: A dehumidifier will reduce how much vapour (oil or water, so long as the boiling point and saturation vapour pressure at room temperatureare appropriate) is in the air.  In the case of water, which is in plentiful supply, there's usually enough vapour in the air to affect the rate of evaporation, because there are plenty of sources, both natural and man-made.  In the case of oils, the amount present in the air is so low that reducing it further will have no effect on the amount that can evaporate.

Where the dehumidifier might have an effect is that it blows out slightly warm air (assuing it's working fairly hard).  The extra heat might just be enough to increase the rate of evaporation, but in practice I'd be surprised if the temperature of a bit of bike in the output flow of a dehumidifer could get 5°C above ambient -- much less than leaving it in the sun.


A traditional road bar isn't flared and has a straight section at the ends of the drops, which is set parallel to the ground to define a default bar rotation for the purpose of measurement and new bike setup.
From that rotational angle, the conventional way of measuring it is:
Width = center to center at the ends of the bars
Reach = horizontal dimension of center of bar at stem clamp to center of bar at forward-most point
Drop = vertical dimension of center of bar at stem clamp to center of bar at end of drop
A lot of current bars don't have the clearly delineated straight section at the ends of the drops that is used to communicate a default angular position as above to measure from. Of these, it's pretty common but not universal for the orientation of the graphics to be an attempt at doing the same job, i.e. when they're pointing straight ahead, that's your default angle. Other times you have to play games with angling the bars such that the measurement of the drop and the reach suddenly both become a whole number in CM, and that's the angle to measure from. Other times you have to just arbitrarily set it to what looks the most reasonable. It's an inexact thing on many of the swoopier contemporary bars, which is annoying.
For measuring width on a flared bar, you're just holding a tape measure across the tops at the beginning of the bends. This is almost always going to be near a whole number in CM, which is what the bar is "trying to be."


It's unfixable.

Depending on the model of shifter you may be able to get a replacement part, or find a used replacement shifter on Ebay.


Replacing crank rings 26/36/48 on XT T8000 with 22/30/40 SLX M7000

If your bike came with those ring sizes, it probably has one of the trekking type front derailleurs. Find its model number on the back side of the cage and look up its specs to corroborate. Using this type of FD with a 40, 42, 44 etc will create excess gap with the cage that may result in chain drop and/or mediocre shifting. To avoid this, switch to a non-trekking 11s triple Shimano mountain FD.
If 30/40 is what you're after, double check compatibility for the FD in question with the minimum middle to large difference spec. Your resource for those numbers is si.shimano.com.


What I would be concerned about is that derailleur guard creates a lever for bending the rear triangle of the frame in a fall. A frame is much more expensive than a derailleur. Kids bikes with derailleur guards are generally heavy steel bikes and kids don't weigh that much.

Bikes come with replaceable dropouts for exactly this reason. It's a sacrifice part to avoid damaging the more expensive frame. Road bikes aren't really designed to be crashed multiple times.

If you're really hard enough on a bike that this is an issue for you, I would seriously consider switching to an internally geared rear hub. The cheapest way to do that would likely be to buy a new bike. Plenty of nice commuter bikes out there now that will likely stand up to the abuse.


I would

Make sure your sag is set correctly. See fork manual.
Place a zip-tie on your fork leg to act as a max-travel gauge, it lets you see how far from bottoming out you were on any ride and will aid you with tuning.
Play with the compression/rebound settings on your current fork. If ride is too harsh, reduce both.
If you are unable to smooth out the ride, or it is at the expense of a wallowy ride, have them serviced (new oil, seals as needed etc).
Avoid large-bill outlays on the current fork while saving up for a better fork in case you can't improve the ride enough. You fork (and bike) will have some resale value, but putting money into it won't increase the resale value.


this week should be the litmus test. i had to order a freewheel removal tool (Maillard 40 mm x 24 notch if memory serves) and i have found 2 companies* that might have the parts i need. i've had to put it down for a couple of days and take a deep breath. i'll regroup and go at it again when the remover arrives.

Bike Tools Etc. &
Loose Screws Bicycle Small Parts


How to get a decent workout on a mid sized, flat parking lot?

Consider constructing a parachute similar to those worn by sprinters: https://www.amazon.com/SKLZ-Speed-Chute-Resistance-Acceleration/dp/B002CLK21C

This would generate significant drag at moderate speeds.  Just be sure not to get it tangled up in the rear wheel!  Perhaps install an emergency release to avoid getting tangled yourself.  It's been discussed here: https://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bike-racing/273066-anyone-ever-use-sprinter-s-parachute-added-resistance.html

Another option is to wear bulky clothes that would act as a parachute/sail.  I often achieve this effect unintentionally with rain gear.  Throw your bike into high gear and grind away!


Wheel building for n360 + disc brakes on H Plus Son 700c, 36h

I like the spoke length calculator, Edd. It has a database of hubs and rims which makes it quite straight forward to use. There are others, a search on "spoke length calculator" will find you lots to choose from.

As far as wheel building advice goes, I highly, highly recommend Jobst Brandt's book The Bicycle Wheel. I used it to build my first wheel many years ago. The method is clear and easy to follow and there is a wealth of information on wheels and how they work.

You may also find this answer on wheel building and this answer on spoke length calculation helpful.


Can I use a 9s front chain ring with a 10 speed chain and cassette?

The 10 speed chain is slightly narrower than a 9-speed chain. The tooth spacing of 9 speed chainrings in the side direction is slightly different than for 10 speed chainrings. In the front-back direction, the tooth spacing of all chainrings is the same regardless of the speed count.
The worst that could happen (assuming here you have at least two chainrings) is that when shifting in the front, the chain starts to momentarily skate on the small ring teeth. This phenomenon is most likely to happen when using top gear (large front chainring, small rear sprocket) and downshifting in the front to a smaller ring, before shifting in the back. This shifting pattern results in an extreme chain angle and is not reasonable for this reason. In practice, you will never shift this way, so the problem should not occur with reasonable shifting patterns.
This effect will not ruin your chain. It's made of steel and thus very strong. Your cassette has no contact with the chainring, so it will naturally not be ruined.
In practice, when having at most 1 speed mismatch on the chainrings, it is extremely unlikely that the problem would occur. A larger problem might occur if using 8 speed chainrings with 10 speed chain.


The main reason I've seen is that police bikes are generic mid-price mountain bikes, and those almost always come with suspension. Even when they're decorated and packaged as "police bikes", they still seem to start out as mid-price generic MTBs.

This comes from the requirement that they be reasonably rugged, able to have police kit bolted on, be reliable, and affordable. Most velocops don't have the budget to start with a $5000 bike and then modify it to work as a police bike. And it's very hard to find a $5000 bike that would be a suitable starting point. But it's also moderately hard to find a $1000 MTB without front suspension.

In Sydney (Australia) at times the velocops get to buy their own bikes, with the requirement that they be able to have all the doodads the police like attached. So we have seen some variation, from cops who put their own money in (or repurpose other budget) to get decent bikes, through to a bunch of "police auction" specials which were ok, but it was amusing to see cops with official bikes that had had the serial numbers filed off. Still, most of those were mid-price mountain bikes with front suspension, because they want the heavy frame to get a bit more ruggedness.


The valve is broken.   You need a new inner tube.  A new tube will cost $5 to $10, and most bike shops will charge $5 or so to change it for you.  It's something you need to be able to do anyway. They'll probably show you if you ask.


What pressure should I run my Road Bike tyres at?


Unless the frame is unusually valuable, it is almost never "worth it" to buy new major parts, such as a new rear wheel (with cluster, et al).

A new rear wheel, once you've got the sprockets and tire on it, will cost in excess of $100, and could run $200-300 if you're determined to find "equivalent" parts.  Likewise for a bike missing a fork, a crank assembly, etc.

You can, however, get a pretty good deal using salvaged parts, either salvaging them yourself (from other scrapped bikes) or buying them from bike shops that are into this sort of thing.

I spent this afternoon helping to turn 4 broken bikes into 2 good ones, for the local school system.


What type of shoes should a commuter/road biker use?

I assume those shoes don't have cleats of any sort.

Do you currently ride without toe clips?  Adding toe clips might let you maintain a steadier foot position on the pedals.

But many regular commuters go in for cleated shoes of some sort, very often the "mountain bike"/touring style with SPD cleats/pedals because they're "walkable".

Whatever, you want a shoe with a relatively stiff sole.  Basically this means a biking shoe of some sort, perhaps the afore-mentioned "mountain bike"/touring style.


Is there an optimal postion for SPD cleats?

You pedal with the ball of your foot and this should placed directly above the pedal axle. However, because you move your foot in a ~170mm radius circle altering the angle of your foot, 'directly above' moves back and fore through the pedal stroke. Getting the ball of the foot behind the axle is not desirable as you are then using the toes rather than the ball (or arch) of the foot to pedal with. Therefore, in practice, you need to have the ball of your foot approximately 10mm forward of the axle.

Placing the ball of the foot 10mm forward of the axle helps during the bottom of the power stroke. You can push the pedal backwards through the dead spot. It also helps at the top of the stroke. IMHO if the toes are having to do all the work (and the cleats are too far forward) then you can tell on a climb - the toes want to give up on you, almost dangerously so...

Alignment is also important. Ideally you want the cleats to be pointing forward with the left/right bolts in the same positions in their little slots on each shoe. This can feel 'pigeon toed' when you get on the bike and it does no harm to angle in the heels so long as there is clearance between them and the cranks. We all have variations in gait and this needs to be accommodated with a little bit of adjustment.

On the subject of natural variations, we all have one foot larger than the other, sometimes this can be some margin, in many cases this can be a whole E.U. shoe size. In practical terms, if placing the cleat so that the ball of the foot to be 10mm forward of the axle, there should be no need to adjust relative cleat positions.

As for determining exactly where the ball of the foot is, with an already worn shoe you can take the insole out and line it up with the sole. Otherwise you have to take an educated 'feel' from looking at your feet on the pedals.


The linked article is a bit more of a rant than anything scientific.  High end $5000 bikes, especially road bikes, are not built to last - they are built light to go fast and trade durability to do so. A frame does not make a bike - in fact on a $5000 bike, a new frame will cost maybe $1000 - hurts and expensive, yes, far from a write off. Buyers of $5000 bikes understand this. Mid-range bikes are less likely to suffer the same problems as people tend to keep them longer and expect them to last. These bikes are mass produced in high volumes - so plenty of spare parts are manufactured, and held in stock. One way to save money as a manufacturer is not hold spare parts, so cheap bikes tend to have parts problems as well but these bikes are rarely worth the labour cost for a repair anyway.

Parts compatibility and vendor lock-in are not a problem in the cycling world, it was an effective monopoly for so long, and is still a duopoly, all parts are relatively interchangeable. The main mounting points etc on frames are all standardized (there is often more than one standard, so getting the right parts is important).

If you search other posts asking similar questions you will see my personal opinion is that upgrading a bike over time is a very expensive proposition and never gives a good bike for the outlay. Parts are expensive to the extent that it is no uncommon to buy a new donor bike to upgrade a frame, rather than buy individual parts - purely because it is much cheaper.

Best option is buy the bike you can afford today, and live with it till you can buy a better one. Buy a better quality used bike, of even better, last years model on 50% discount (The main difference is usually colour) rather than pay sticker price for this years model.

To alleviate your fears about parts availability, stick to big brands, stay away from chain stores, and consider a bike is a collection of distinct, easily replaced parts - unlike say a car.


What tools do I need to replace my bottom bracket?

As this is an older octalink crankset/BB you will require a:

Crank Extractor like this to remove the cranks.
Bottom Bracket tool like this to remove the bottom bracket.
Dust cap removal tool (if it has these) like this
8 or 10mm hex wrench for crank bolts.

This is likely to require a lot of effort to free up after 12 years so I'd recommend a repair stand.

For fitting a new 10 speed crankset (at Deore, SLX, XT etc level) it's likely you'll need to move to a threaded external bearing BB such as Shimano BB70 which will probably come with the crank set you purchase. This requires:

External bottom bearing tool like this to install the bottom bracket and no other tools.

I was on the Park Tools site so used their tools as examples, many brands make similar tools. They also have a good reference section to learn how to work on a bike here.

Personally I would recommend trying to borrow the tools to remove the BB from your LBS rather than purchasing new as the standard for mountain bikes has changed to (many different) external bearings systems. It may end up you purchase them for this job and never use again....


Why is my bike looking so light yet so cheap as I make a list of what I need to build it?

I'd be careful with a random carbon fiber frame from the internet, since you don't know how well its built (and frame failure can lead to serious injury). We've discussed this at length multiple times on this stack exchange, so you can search it. There are also a lot of fakes of major manufacturer bikes online, so you should be wary of those too, especially high end carbon fiber ones. It's very easy to make two bikes that look identical from carbon fiber, but one is much less safe than the other. Read this article for an example of the horrors (including for other fake bicycle products).

Personally, I'd rather buy a bike from a major manufacturer which I know was built correctly at the same price point even if its components aren't Ultegra and it isn't carbon fiber.

Also, its hard to know how well the bike will fit, versus just trying a bike out at the shop and getting a better idea of fit. This takes quite a bit of experience (and is pretty inexact too; you may hate something that fits on paper).

--

I'll assume the groupset follows what Chain Reaction Cycles is selling at the moment: Front and Rear rim brakes, front and rear derailleur, brifters, crankset, cassette, bottom bracket and a chain.

It's not clear from the product page that your wheelset has a 11 speed compatible freehub, so if it doesn't have a 11 speed compatible freehub, you need a different wheelset.

You're still missing tires, tubes, seatpost, saddle, headset, pedals, stem, cables + cable housing, drop bar tape.

You'll also need some tools to work on the bike (a torque wrench is critical on carbon fiber), some of which you may want to leave to a shop (e.g. a headset press).  And other ancillaries like appropriate greases and stuff for working with carbon fiber, of course.


Can I convert flat bar to drop bars on a hybrid bike

The 9-speed road and mountain shifters and derailleurs from shimano should be compatible (at least with 105 / Tiagra). Make sure you get 9-speed shifters, however some people have luck using alternate cable routing (attach the shifter cable to the oppisite of the clamp on the rear derallieur) to use 9-speed drivetrain with 10-speed rear shifter.  Keep in mind, You can't mix and match 10-speed road gear with any of the mountain gear labeled 'Dyna-Sys' as they have modified the cable pull ratios for those components. If you need to adapt different speeds and brands, you may have luck using a compatibility solution like Jtek Shift Mate.

Your brakes may have different cable pull ratios as well.  You likely need to swap your disc brakes for ones with compatibility with the shorter pull that is provided by road STI shifters.  Avid makes BB5 and BB7 road models which would probably work well.  You probably don't need to swap your rotors, just the calipers.

If you want cheaper alternatives to STI levers, you can buy long pull brake levers that will work with your mountain disc brakes and use a different type of shifter like Retroshift (which offers a long pull brake lever option) or 9-speed Shimano Bar End Shifters.


It can be called "standing sprint" if used by a road race bicyclist during a race/training. At MTB, it can be associated with "attack position", where one leaves the saddle momentarily (or for quite prolonged periods of time in fact, thanks @mattnz) to not be thrown out of the bike by the saddle launching the rider into space.

For regular commuters, Sheldon Brown considers the need to stand up while pedaling as a sign of a bad technique or poor bike fit:

  If you find yourself standing to accelerate, on level ground, it is a sign that your gear is too high or that your saddle is too low.

Also from there:

  Standing pedaling doesn't make you any faster, except in the very short run.

So, check your gearing technique and bike fit.


What to do with a bent but not broken aluminum seat stay

Aluminum alloy is weakened by being bent. The seat-stay is bowed in so that loads will tend to bend the stay more. The stay probably will not fail suddenly, but it will develop a crack where it's bent if you keep riding it.

It's probably OK to ride on temporarily, even if the stay does fail the other stay will support the wheel.

You say the bike is a Cube so presumably you are in Europe. The driver's insurance will cover the damage done to the bike, or you can sue the driver in some sort of small-claims court.


What to do to quiet with this clunking, clicking, and banging front wheel

Well you won't believe this, but it was the seatpost in the seat tube. I replaced everything in the bike. Until the only thing left was the seatpost. And it makes total sense. The seatpost was totally dry. I figure it settled into one spot after a lot of years and the crash busted it loose, so the slight wiggling was creating a clunking that resonated through the bike.

The reason it was really hard to diagnose is that the bike is a fixed-gear so I can't coast. If I could coast I would have been able to realize that the noise didn't happen when my butt wasn't moving. But since my legs are always moving, I was always making the seatpost make the noise. I lubed the seatpost and the noise went away.


handling and steering difference for stem/bar reach combinations?

The exact difference can't be easily quantified in terms of how short is too short. The closer in you get, the more amplified an effect your steering inputs will have, creating a feeling of touchiness. It's not optimal, but it's a pretty subtle downside and well worth it if it's what it takes to get comfortable.

Comparing bars with different amounts of reach (and drop, especially since most bars with smaller reach numbers will also be shallow drop), a major consideration is that the smaller the number, the less variance is created between the different hand/body positions. That's why it makes sense for the size of the reach/drop numbers to scale with the size of the person.


Is there any use to motor pacing for people in the cat 4 to cat 2 range actually useful?

Background

If you have the resources (motor scooter and someone experience in how to do it) and time, motor pacing could be very good training tool for building high-end power for a variety of fitness levels. Where it excels (when done properly) is getting riders to train at their lactic threshold. Motor pacing will push you to levels that are hard to replicate outside of real race conditions.

The consistency of motor pacing is also great as you can fine tune the intensity. The fine tuning allows you to sit closer and longer on your threshold than might be possible with a group of riders, especially if your group of riders has limited riding experience and differing fitnesses. Motor pacing can also accommodate a variety of fitness levels, the driver simply drives at the appropriate pace to put the rider at their threshold.

Now will this be the "secret sauce?" I have some doubts for the following reasons:

1) Drawbacks for inexperienced riders / clubs

Cat 3 can represent a wide array of abilities and skills depending on your region. Many newer riders do not know what it is like to ride at their true threshold.  They hold back, resist the wonderful lactic acid pain rather than embrace it.  For them, motor pacing may have fewer benefits over regular fast club rides.

Inexperienced riders also may not have the riding skill to motor pace safely. To motor pace well you have to be able to ride with your front wheel an few inches from the tire of the lead vehicle. This can be dangerous for unexperienced riders who may suffer from lapses in concentration.

Your diver must also be experienced.  I have paced behind an inexperienced driver and it was frightening to say the least.  Their speed would surge and slow and at one point I actually hit the vehicle with my front wheel.  I didn't crash, but this could have bee some serious carnage, especially for the riders down stream of me.

2) Raw Power Rarely Wins Races

Very few riders win races by riding off the front with their superior power. If you see someone riding off the front of a pack it is because the pack has allowed it, it is not due to their 'superior' power.  Very few riders ever ride away from the group through pure strength. Ones that do are typically so naturally strong their rarely stay long in Cat 3 anyway and in few years will likely be riding pro.

Not everyone has this genetic ability, and its also not the only way to win races at the local level. Strategy and race smarts can be of equally importance. I find many new racers overvalue fitness and undervalue learning how to read races and plan efforts. Too many are too twitching looking to jump on and 'go fast' too early in the race. For these riders motor pacing will not teach them how to read races.  It will not teach them how to make a plan, and commit every last ounce of energy to it's execution (i.e., execute, or fall in the ditch in exhaustion).  It will not teach them how to neutrally deconstruct a race and assess what worked and what didn't and come up with revised strategies to try the next race. It will not magically impart singular focus and the passion needed to win.

That said, motor pacing can still be a frickin' blast when done right!


Why does my chain slip off the chainring when cruising or back pedalling?

Sounds to me like classic symptoms of a dirty drivetrain. If your chain is getting slack on top when you stop pedalling or backpedal, then the problem is in your freehub (or freewheel, whichever you have), a dirty freehub will cause all the problems you've listed, even on a brand new bike.

When dirt and grit mixed with excess chain oil get gummed up in the bearings of your freehub, it looses a lot of it's freedom to move. The easiest way to confirm this is to take your wheel off, and just try to give the cassette a flick with your fingers, if it doesn't spin freely, then it is certainly gummed up and the easiest thing to do is get the freehub replaced (freehubs aren't easy to clean unless you have a freehub buddy). You can clean a freehub without a freehub buddy, but you'll have to take it appart to do a good job of it, and there are lots of tiny bearings (~42) in a freehub that are easy to loose, so if you're not mechanically inclined, I wouldn't recommend trying it. If you want to try, you'll need a freehub tool to get the freehub off the hub, and another to open the freehub (their different depending on brand of freehub), I also recommend getting a pair of snap-ring pliers and a magnet tray (pliers for snap-rings obviously, and magnet try to prevent dozens of tiny ball-bearings from going everywhere).

How to Prevent Sticky Freehubs

Proper oiling and regularly cleaning your drivetrain is the best way to avoid this problem. Over-oiling is the biggest culprit for sticky freehubs, don't just keep applying more oil to your chain, always wipe off the excess, and clean you chain regularly to remove dirt and grime, simply oiling isn't enough.

Riding your bike as often as you do, you should probably be getting your drivetrain replaced at least once a year (Chain and Cassette) as wear and tear will also give you problems.


What should I carry on day trips for emergencies?

In my opinion, minimal set of what to carry:

Bare Minimum: (able to call a taxi and pay them to get you to a bike shop or to home)

Cell phone.
ID (I prefer both a photo ID such as driver's license and something useful to emergency personnel like a Crash Tag/Road ID. So I can buy a beer at the halfway point and have something useful in case there's an accident and I'm unconscious)
Some form of payment (cash, atm card, credit card, whatever)
Water (bottle in a bottle cage)

Optional, but I'd never leave home without these: (because a flat tire is your most common problem)

Pump, or CO2 valve and a couple CO2 cartridges, or a pump with the CO2 valve and 1 CO2 cartridge. CO2 is faster and smaller, but you can basically only handle as many flats as you have cartridges.
tire levers (2 is easier, 1 might be sufficient)
1 spare tube
patch kit (pre-glued patches or patches and glue)
Any tool needed for wheel removal (not needed for quick-release hub)

Optional, but I always have for a ride longer than half an hour: (dealing with most problems)

Energy bar or some other sort of small portable food item (low blood sugar when you need to pedal for another hour sucks).
Small multitool that can adjust brakes, derailers, and at least temporarily deal with saddle issues. Also good to include chain tool, spoke wrenches...

Really optional, but I usually have these: (and they're all quite tiny)

A couple nitrile gloves, so you can deal with drivetrain repairs more cleanly. Especially if you have handlebar tape/grips in any color but black.   Useful when doing any chain repairs, but also comes in handy if you encounter a medical incident along your route.
A masterlink for your chain (if chain breaks, use chain breaker in multitool to remove broken link, masterlink to put chain back together and avoid your big ring until you replace the chain)
Medications. I usually have a few Ibuprofen and a couple Benadryl. Ibuprofen for aches and Benadryl in case I get stung by something I'm allergic to. (not allergic enough to need epipen)

Basically, the most likely problem on the road is getting a single flat.  The next most likely is getting two flats (running through some glass that gets both tires or not getting the first flat quite fixed right).  So you need to be able to handle a flat and preferably two.  If you have a few small bills (or an energy bar wrapper) you can use one to temporarily patch the tire if there's a big hole in the tire itself.
I like having 1 tube and a patch kit because swapping a tube is faster (especially with slow leaks) and it's possible to get a flat you can't really patch (too big, valve stem sheared off while pumping, etc).
After that everything else is much less likely to go wrong.  Brakes having an issue or the saddle sliding back are possible.  Running out of energy is possible. But those other non-flat things are unlikely enough that being able to call a friend or taxi or something like that is a sufficient backup plan.
That's a small enough set of things you can carry it in a jersey pocket or saddle bag. Pump can mount next to the water bottle cage or might fit in the bag.


Giant Toughroad SLR 1 for long distance tour

You're looking at around 60km a day on average (presumably a bit more but some rest days).  The bike can take it with no trouble. I sometimes ride that sort of distance on a comparable (but older spec) bike, lightly loaded but it's heavier to start with.

The tyres may not be optimal if you're almost all on tarmac, though they're probably pretty good for dirt roads -- tyres are easy to change when you've planned your route. (I'd go for something like marathon plus 35 or 38, but that's partly habit).
You may want to swap out the grips for something offering more than one hand position (like these Ergon GP3s that I use)
You'll need to train for it on the bike you plan to use.  We've got quite a few questions about training here, so I won't go into details, but this is the only way to get the fit right and make sure the saddle is right for you.
You might want to upgrade the pedals, depending on how the stock ones work with your shoes.  This could be clipless, toe clips, or just normal platform pedals that your shoes don't slide around on.

Giant have lots of dealers in many countries so it's worth checking whether you can try one for size, even if it means making a special trip.  I'm about your size and bought online with no real problem (GT, not Giant, XL frame) but I consider myself lucky that it fits so well.  In theory assembling is easy; in practice my front derailleur wasn't set up square and took a lot of fiddling to get right -- perhaps you shoudl check out how much a shop or mobile bike mechanic would charge to put it together, assuming getting it through a dealer isn;t an option.


Can I replace my 650c wheels with a more standard size?

The answer is yes, but it might not be cost effective for your situation. I will answer this question from the perspective of someone who already owns a 650c frame but wants to purchase a new wheel-set.

The BSD of a modern 26" mountain bike wheel is 559mm, which is only slightly less than a 650c at 571mm. Sheldon Brown provides a big table. If your brakes can accommodate an additional drop of 6mm (calculated by (571mm - 559mm) / 2) then you can use a 26" wheelset in your 650c frame.

This has been documented by restoringvintagebicycles.com; they have also successfully run 650b wheels in a 700c frame.

So why might you want to do this?

Wider selection of rims
Wider selection of tyres
Wider availability of parts for long tours in remote places
Increased tyre clearance allowing for larger volume tyres
Reduced toe overlap


Focusing on the question, almost all cassette cogs are steel. For Shimano’s and Campagnolo’s top road groups, the top few cogs are made of titanium to save weight. However, titanium wears a lot faster than steel, thus this is limited to Dura Ace and Super Record. Those cassettes are very expensive. Your bike seems to come with most of a Shimano 105 group, which is two levels down from Dura Ace. That cassette is fully steel, aside from the aluminum cog carrier for the largest 3 cogs and the plastic (I believe) spacers. (NB: your brakes are Tektro and the cranks are FSA, and down-speccing these items is a common cost-saving measure. I wouldn't be that surprised if a manufacturer down-specced the cassette, but there's no Shimano 11s cassette below 105 in the current generation of parts.)
For MTB cassettes, Shimano’s XTR cassette has the top 3 cogs made of aluminum and the next few made of titanium. XT has its largest 2 cogs made of aluminum. The balance are all steel SRAM's X01 and XX1 (highest end two groups) may have only the largest cog made of aluminum, with steel for the rest. However, those cogs have 39 or more teeth. So, they’re larger than many road chainrings, which are all made of aluminum (although MTB chainrings, being smaller, are often made of steel, and sometimes titanium rings may be available aftermarket). Generally, the more teeth there are in a cog or chainring, the more material there is to spread wear over, so it's feasible to make big cogs or rings of aluminum or titanium and not have them wear too fast. I'm not sure how fast big aluminum cogs (or mid sized titanium ones like on XTR) wear on MTBs. Otherwise, on road groups, you’ll generally only see aluminum cogs on weight weenie builds, and these would not be regarded as daily use cassettes.
However, you indicated that the instructions for the chain checker said to use the .75 wear indicator if you have aluminum cogs. Maybe something is getting lost in translation, but I don’t think that can be correct. Chain manufacturer guidance is to change the chain at 0.5% wear if it’s 11s or higher, otherwise change at 0.75%. It has nothing to do with the cog material. You would change cogs if the chain were skipping, and if you change the chain right when it hits the indicated amount of wear, you can run multiple chains before you need to change the cassette. I am not sure why an aluminum or titanium cassette would necessarily influence the point at which you should replace the chain. It does seem like the steel chain would wear at the same rate or at a lower rate if used on a softer material, and both titanium and aluminum are softer. As to the 1% wear mark, that may have been a thing on 8s or earlier chains. Once a chain exceeds its wear mark, the roller-roller distance will be significantly different from what the cogs and chainrings were designed to accommodate. The chain will then begin to wear out the cogs and chainrings much faster. If you left your 11s chain to 1% wear, you would certainly have to replace the cassette at the same time, and you could have worn the chainrings significantly as well.
Regarding the German Wikipedia page you linked to, I don't speak German, but Google Translate does render Kettenverschleißlehre as "chain wear gauge." The page does appear to say that, using Google Translate:

Most manufacturers recommend changing the chain if the elongation of the chain exceeds 0.75 or 1%, depending on the type of chain. Accordingly, chain measuring gauges are used to check whether the elongation is within the tolerance range 0.75% (for light metal cassettes) or 1% (for steel cassettes) elongation.

However, that statement is unsourced. As I stated, I don't believe it is correct. The author might have mistakenly confused things with chain wear guidance from the 8s/9s era, but again, they would be incorrect as to modern chains.
You didn't ask, but I believe that some chains are partly made out of titanium. For example, YBN has one chain model with titanium rollers, but I believe the pins and plates are steel. This is a super-duper weight weenie item. I would expect it to have extraordinarily short life - chains 'stretch' because the rollers and pins wear out from moving against each other during pedaling, and titanium is softer, so it should wear faster in this application, just like ti cassette cogs. However, again, you would still want to replace the chain at the 0.5 wear mark. Also, there are some carbon fiber chainrings (e.g. Fibre Lyte) available for weight weenie builds, although I also don't believe they would wear very well.


From the picture, it looks like you have a friction shifter rather than an indexed shifter. Indexed shifters click, and friction shifters move smoothly. For a rear derailleur, you would almost always want indexed shifting because the cogs are so close together. For a crankset with 3 chainrings, friction shifting can be handy for fine-tuning the position of the front derailleur.


It's tough to give an "objective" answer to this, but I was in the same scenario 5 years ago and went with a CX bike and have no regrets.

I always advise newbies to non-mountain biking (e.g. you're new to pavement commuting, road biking, racing, touring, gravel road biking, etc.) to at least consider a CX bike.

Here are some thoughts:

Road bikes tend to be very specifically tailored to road cycling, with lightweight (i.e. less durable components), and an aggresive (i.e. "hunched over" riding position that while great for racing is not so hot for almost all other pursuits (commuting, touring, etc.).

CX bikes, at least at the entry level (think aluminum frame, carbon fork, low to mid-range components) tend to have a more upright position that's a lot easier to get used to if you're coming from mountain/hybrid bikes. They also tend to have more heavy duty components, e.g. wheels with more spokes, etc., and the aluminum frame ones will often include mounting points for racks, fenders, etc., which road bikes tend not to.

As such, a CX bike can be a bit of a jack of all trades, letting you try out various types of road riding:

Want to try gravel racing? You've got the tire clearance for fatter knobby tires.  I just put 42mm tires on my CX bike; that's not gonna happen on a true road bike.
Want to try racing in a local race or time trial? Put some skinny slicks on it, take off the fenders/racks, you've got a reasonable road machine. You're not going to win any races, but you're also not going to get laughed out of the race. I spend a lot of time riding pavement with 28C Gatorskins on mine.
Want to try some light duty touring? If you go with a ALU frame CX bike with fender attachment points, you can throw a rack and fenders on and go for a few days tour. I did a 135km ride last year on my CX bike with 60 pounds of gear on it.

Ultimately, I've found my CX bike to be a real swiss army knife and it's allowed me to experiment with a lot more different types of riding than I think I could have if I'd gone with a dedicated road bike.

In the end you should test ride both bikes, a couple times if the first rides aren't conclusive, and see what you like the feel of better.

Also, quick caveat: in the time since I bought my bike, spinoffs of road racing have been proliferating and manufacturers are putting out more and more high end bikes within those niches (e.g. high end all-carbon CX bikes or gravel bikes), and like a dedicated road bike, those will not be as multi-purpose as an entry level CX bike would be. E.g. if you look at a high end CX bike, it will probably be all-carbon, with no fender/rack mounting, so will not offer much in the way of touring capabilities.

Hope that helps!


Is there a way to make activity wristbands read bike rides more accurately?

A decent amount of bike computers have bluetooth or ANT+ on them, which you can connect to your phone or whatever and read out (as a work around). Apps like runkeeper can also track distance based on GPS roughly.

To quote the fitbit people:

"All Fitbit trackers are optimized for walking, running, and general household and lifestyle activities.

It will not be as accurate for activities like biking, but will record steps if you wear your tracker.

For increased accuracy, go to http://www.fitbit.com/activities or click the "log activity" icon from your dashboard to manually log activities like cycling. This will allow for a more accurate estimated calorie burn to be included in your daily totals. Our online database of workouts makes it easy to save and access your favorite activities. For detailed information see How do I log or record an activity?"

Wearing on ankle may work better, but you'd need to check against a cycling computer or something to see how it works. Alternatively, just use something else like Runkeeper or a bluetooth/ant+ cycling computer or enter stuff from your cycling computer in manually after a ride.


Should mileage on a trainer be considered mileage on the bike?

Most bikes I've looked at (and purchased) via craigslist and other online listings don't usually state miles, just condition. I think most bicycle owners don't have odometers.

The mileage I keep track of is more for my own knowledge and maintenance scheduling. Keeping track of when I change the chain, or how long tires last type of thing.

That said, I won't get another sensor that only works on the front wheel, as I like the feedback (speed, time, mileage, cadence of my workout) when I'm on the trainer.


Yes the recommended way to change pads is open the quick release and remove that side of the brake, then remove the wheel to allow access to the other pad. You can refer to the official HS33 (or similar) manual, pages 21 and 19.

Another way I know of to be able to reach the non-QR side pad (or both sides if running without QRs which is arguably a stiffer setup) is to remove the screws and get it off completely, hereby undoing the adjustments made to get correct pad to rim alignment. Not a huge problem if you're used to setting up Maguras, but it does take a bit of a learning process.


How exactly does cross-chaining accelerate wear?

When the chain is bent sideways, the load at links is concentrated on one end of the pin and single side plate while the link is turned. This is supposed to wear that side of the link faster. Once the link is worn asymmetric, even straight chainline will concentrate load on the less worn side.

No, I don't know if there are any actual measurements on this.


Where to mount a headlight if the handlebar is obscured by a basket

Something like this accessory is what you need:

Can be fitted onto wired or meshed bicycle baskets.
This specific model is made by the "Rixen & Kaul" and can be found in many online shops. E.g. Amazon - Rixen & Kaul Light-Clip Basket Fitting - Black.


Changing SRAM Apex brifters to flat bar - which is it possible to get hydraulic brake levers and trigger shifters to match?

The SRAM Apex line includes flat bar trigger shifters.

I don't think there are flat bar brake levers compatible with Apex hydraulic calipers, so you'd be looking at getting separate MTB levers and calipers. SRAM MTB and Road levers and calipers are not compatible with each other - see this answer.


A tube will have a range.  Most likely the original range of that tube did not include 28.  Small tubes are usually sold as 19-23.  Yes the rubber would probably stretch to 28 without bursting but it would definitely be weak.  If you are going to spend money on new tires then spend money on new tubes.  Even same size I put new tubes in new tires.  Save the old for emergency.  Better yet save the old tires with tubes for emergency unless the tires are just plain shot.


Adjustable stem busted - Do I need to replace the whole stem?

I'd call that part garbage, sorry.  You've overtightened it enough to tear apart the metal, and that toothed flange is probably custom.

I would suggest replacing the whole unit with a different brand.  The one pictured APPEARS to be a threadless stem, but with the steerer clamp down below and the hinge/knuckle up on top somehow.  This is quite unusual.

Now that you know what kind of angle/length you prefer on your stem, consider purchasing one that fits those specs.

A conventional non-adjustable stem might look more like this:


Are there any tricks to make "U brake" stronger?

The easy solution is usually better brake pads. If you're using $2 brake pads, or just old worn ones, you're not going to get very good braking. Spending $10 on a pair of decent pads can make a huge difference.

As well, make sure the brakes are set up properly, especially if you're using two finger (short) levers. With new cables, true wheels and minimum clearance between pads and rim you'll be able to put maximum force on the brakes.

If everything is properly rigid you shouldn't see anything flex when you apply the brakes. If you do, maybe look at a reinforcing plate (called "brake bridges"). Many older U brakes already come with those. It's a U or C shaped plate than goes over the top of the brake to reinforce the pivots. They're also used with V brakes but shouldn't be necessary if the bike is built properly. Old mountain bikes and BMX's often just had U brake or V brake pivots added to a frame designed for calipers, and the tubes would bend or twist when the brakes were applied. That made the brakes no better than calipers in many cases.


Given that you don't have the eyelets and barely any tire clearance, you're going to want a clip-on seat-post fender (which you could also clip to the seat tube, probably):

and a mudguard that clips on to the downtube:


The bolt that runs through the brake has a couple of flats on it just in front of where it meets the front fork.  You can put a spanner (of the thin variety) onto these and align the brake.

That is the proper way to do it, but this is not always practical. The other approach is to tighten the allen key bolt at the back of the fork and then undo it by a small amount, the small amount required to lift the left-hand-pad (as seen from the front) off the rim.

Before doing any of the above it is worth considering the wheel - is it in the fork properly? The best way to ensure the wheel is correctly in place is to put the bike on the ground with your weight on the handlebars. Now push the quick-release skewer tight.

If you do not have quick release on your front wheel then you can tighten up the nuts on each side bit by bit, again with weight on handlebars so that it does not end up being to one side.


Front derailleur hard to move due to gear cable angle

Having looked through the manual it seems that your shifter cable emerges from the frame on the right hand side of the bike, so the converter should be installed with the pin to the left, which should result in an acceptable angle between the shifter cable and derailleur lever.

I'd definitely rule out all other possibilities that might result in excessive effort required at the shift lever. Detach the cable from the derailleur, put some tension on it (may need to grip it with pliers), actuate the shifter and make sure the cable runs freely. Check the cable run from the shifter to the derailleur make sure there are no snags, housing is properly inserted into stops on the frame etc. You may even want to remove the cable and clean and lube it.

I'd also check the derailleur adjustment. especially alignment. You say the chain rubs at the back end of the cage - if the back end of the derailleur cage is toed out sightly it may be causing the rub. Park Tool has a great step-step video on front derailleur adjustment that can be found here: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustment


What might be causing my inner tubes to get rips behind the valve?

I struggled with this once for a while.
One (duh) obvious thing to double-check. Valves usually have a little knurled and threaded ring. Be sure to remove that ring before inserting the valve through the hole in the wheel, and replace it afterward. Otherwise it's a way to push part of the valve body into the tire. The person writing this learned that the hard way.
Another (duh) obvious thing ... make sure the tire pressure is correct. If you don't have a pressure gauge you should get one. Best move: get a floor pump with a gauge.
Third thing.  Get yourself some talcum power, put a bit into the tire and spread it around, by rotating the tire in your hand. It will lubricate the interface between the tire and the tube to let the tube adjust its position within the tire a little bit. That helps the tube from bunching up.  Careful: Real talcum, not cornstarch powder. Talcum's a mineral with lubricative properties.  And like other minerals that come in dust-tiny sizes (asbestos) you REALLY don't want any in your lungs so be careful.
Handling the tire to spread out the powder doubles as a way to inspect it carefully for sharp stuff and other tire damage.


Chain slipping off from singlespeed rear cog

Campag toolboxes used to have a tool, looked like a satin chromed steel bar, that was to be placed on the right side of the BB and swung to the left inside of the right frame end. If it didn't just brush nicely, the stays were out of whack. Triple check your BB/cog alignment. All need to be in plane. An aligned chain wheel can't ship the chain off an aligned cog. Determine plane.


Which new road bikes can have seat height 890mm or more?

Sounds like you're searching for a carbon bike, but a steel bike might be more likely to be available in your size. The Surly straggler has a 620mm seat tube (62cm) option, and the Disc Trucker has a 640mm seat tube (64 cm) option.   Steel bikes often have horizontal (not sloped) top tubes, so you end up with much less seat post exposed. They also have round tubes so you can more easily find a longer seat post if need be. The extra weight isn't much assuming you spec it out with the right components for everything else. As most you'll end up with a couple extra pounds which won't be a huge percentage of your total weight (bike + rider).


Why is 2nd largest rear cog making clicking noise?

It would be one of a few things:

The rear derailleur is not center aligned on the rear cog when in that gear. Take a look at the cog and derailleur gear alignment dead on from the rear when in the noisy gear and look for vertical alignment. If it is misaligned it can be ajusted with the barrel adjuster.
The chain is not clearing the front derailleur guard when in this gear. Look at it from the top down when in the noisy cog and ensure no rubbing between the chain and derailleur guard. If there is rubbing the limit screws can be adjusted
The cog is damaged in some way causing some sort of misalignment

The problem with the first two possibilities is that I'd expect the noise to persist in the 1st cog as well.


Disc brakes, both mechanical and hydraulic, require the pads to be bedded in before they reach optimal performance. There are many different views to the best way to do this but manufactuer instructions generally revolve around several start/stops increasing the pressure on each stop to build up heat and speed up the process.

I personally don't do anything special and just use the brakes just bearing in mind that they are bedding in (ie. no hard braking into a tight corner) until I have the feel of them and are willing to trust them.

Here is the Avid bed-in procedure:

  warning:  the bed-in process requires you to perform
  heavy braking.  you must be familiar with the power
  and operation of disc brakes.  braking heavily when
  not familiar with the power and operation of disc
  brakes could cause you to lose control of your bicycle
  which could lead to a crash which could lead to
  serious injury and/or death.  if you are unfamiliar with
  the power and operation of disc brakes you should
  have the bed-in process performed by a qualified
  bicycle mechanic. then you should [practice your
  riding and braking techniques on a flat and level
  surface prior to aggressive riding].
  to  safely  achieve  optimal  results, remain seated on the bike during the entire bed-in procedure.

  Accelerate the bike to a moderate speed
  (approximately 19 kilometers or 12 miles per
  hour), then firmly apply the brakes until you are
  at walking speed.  Repeat approximately twenty
  times.
  Accelerate the bike to a faster speed
  (approximately 32 kilometers or 20 miles per
  hour).  Then very firmly and suddenly apply the
  brakes until you are at walking speed.  Repeat
  approximately ten times.

  important: do not lock the wheels up at any point during the bed-in procedure.

  Allow the brakes to cool prior to any additional riding.

  this concludes the disc brake pad and rotor bedding in procedure. you did a great job! you are now ready to ride. enjoy!

Other set up to check on mechanical disc brakes is:

Check the caliper centered, loosen up the mounting bolts and spin the wheel. Pull the brakes tightly and while holding the brake on redo up the mounting bolts.
Check the gap between pad and rotor, with a mechanical disc brake this is a manual exercise and different to hydraulics. Each brake will have a different method here is a link for BB7s. This process also checks the cable slack.