What height should drop handlebars be - relative to my saddle?

There is no single official accepted guidance. Typically the more you ride, the lower you will tolerate your bars, drops or straights. Pro cyclists have them as low as 10-15 cm below saddle, while amateurs tend to have them level or slightly higher than the saddle.

Don't worry that you cannot spend all your time in drops. Even pro cyclists prefer the more upright position with hands on top of the bars, and will typically go to drops only in critical moments (when in the front, in a breakaway etc.)

The thing with the brakes -- well, that's just the way it is with road bikes and drop handlebars. For giving up immediate access to brakes you gain more hand positions on the bars, which helps immensely on long rides. With your hands in the convenient "on the horns" position, typically you will be able to apply enough pressure to the brakes to slow down, though for emergency braking you'll need to get down to the drops.

You can get an adjustable stem to experiment with handlebar height. Just change it for a normal stem once you decide, or other road cyclists will look down on you -- an adjustable stem is pretty much the mark of a "Fred" :-)


While Michaels answer is the more correct one, I found ETT or effective top tube length quite useful for me when buying second hand. It is easier for the seller to measure, and was more useful to me than the seat post height since that is trivially adjustable and my upper body is smaller than it should be for my height..

Edit: The effective top tube length is the horizontal distance from the top tube/head tube junction to the seat tube. This measurement has become significant as more and more bikes are designed with sloping top tubes. (from https://www.bikecad.ca/effective_top_tube_length)


why has my fox rear shocks adjusting lever popped out?

I'll assume that your adjustor knob looks like this:

If you look closelly to that image, over the "2" you'll see a triangle. Over the triangle you'll see a tiny hole. In that hole there is an alen bolt, (maybe 1mm or 1.5mm) which retains the knob in its place. That bolt must have been lose so the knob fell. The metal ball is just there to provide the click sound and feel for the compression or rebound adjustor.

So, fully undo the bolt, place the knob in it's place, tighten the bolt (not very much), and you are good to go. Test by rotating both directions and expect to hear and feel the clicks. Make sure you return the settings to their original position. If unsure, consult with someone who knows, your LBS, or ask here.

This exact mechanism exists in almost all compression and rebound knobs in common suspensions. e.g  and


You do not need a power file (although I am happy to provide some examples), what you do need to do your calculations are the power curves and total weight so you can calculate watts/kg.

The ability of humans produce sustainable power changes over the duration. The highest power is produced for short intervals, with a rapid drop off from 1 sec to 1 min interval, followed by a leveling out over time.

Most online training analyzers will provide this.  Strava actually provides these figures to members, and allows you to access power curves of riders you follow that upload power data.  You can also download files of athletes you follow (i.e., those who allow you to follow them).

Therefore you will need to:

Make an account on Strava
Make friends with some users who have a power meter
Become a "follower" - it's kind of like joining a cult.
Download/analyze applicable rides.

To get you started below are a couple power curve examples, one from a commute and another from an actual pro athlete (which would probably not be very indicative of touring efforts).

Example - MAMIL Commute

Here is an example an out-of-shape middle age man in lycra (MAMIL) riding to work:

This was last week, riding a tempo pace but not killing it. I was putting a reasonable effort on the climbs which is why the 20 minute power is around 300 watts, but didn't want to work too hard so the 1 hour power falls off and the short duration power is relatively low.

Example - Pro Athlete

This is a high end example of a pro athlete (triathlete) riding full out for an hour in a cyclo-cross (CX) race, a type of racing known for its intensity:

They are putting in big efforts out of the corners (2000 watts!!!! - #$%!) and are maxed out everywhere else.  Here the CP60 (critical power - 60 minutes; also known as Functional Power Threshold [FTP]) is around 370 watts!!! Impressive fitness to say the least.

If you look at 5 minute power, which is a good indicator of potential fitness, the pro athlete is still putting out almost 100 watts more power than the MAMIL commuter example.  That is 30% more capability! Granted I wasn't completely maxed out on my commute, but there is no way I could find another 100 watts to match, plus I have more weight which would put me at a lower watts/kg and a further disadvantage.

Summary

Both examples are probably outside what someone on a long cycle trip will want to do.  I would simply shift the curves down appropriately.


How to identify where a creaking/squeaking sound comes from?

As a bike mechanic on a college campus, I got this question a lot. From my experience, it usually is either the pedal or the bottom bracket. Considering the noise is happening when you are putting torque on your pedal, I would go with it being a bottom bracket problem. Check for play by pulling on the crank back and forth to see if there is some wiggle room, but even if there isn't, it could be that it's just dry in there and you're feeling the ball bearings more than usual.

If you've never taken apart a bottom bracket, I would consider getting some help first. If you mis-align the threads screwing the cup back in, you could seriously damage your bike. I'm not sure what type of bottom bracket you have, but if they are loose ball bearings, I would give them a re-greasing, and then make sure to tighten it up so there's no play while also having it loose enough to turn with the greatest ease possible. Even just doing that could get rid of some noises.

You could also take apart your pedal on the left side and check the ball bearings in there too, and give them a re-grease.

If this is a bottom bracket problem like I predict, and you let it go, your ball bearings will eventually turn into misshapen balls and that will dent the cups in which they roll, which will just totally suck to ride because it will be hard to pedal and annoying to listen to the persistent noise. I doubt it would ever make you crash though.

This is a personal picture I took of a bottom bracket with the same complaint as yours, and these are their ball bearings and cage. I'm not sure how he rode it for so long like that actually.

Hope this helps!


How to find a mountain bike that can handle a heavier (250-260lbs) rider?

250-260 pounds isn't that heavy.

You may not need to worry about weight at all.

See if you can find the information from the manufacturer about weight limits for their bikes. For a mountain bike that you intend to use for what it was made for, you're probably within the weight limit the bike is designed for.

You may want to avoid the lightest weight stuff (carbon) unless you check the weight specs. But that's mostly stuff on the more expensive bikes.

Some of the parts that normally wear out will likely wear out faster for you than for somebody lighter, but that's no big deal.

If you plan to do tougher things with the bike than it was made for (jump a trail bike, for instance) you could run into problems. Stick with getting a bike that's intended for what you plan to do with the bike.

For instance:

1. Trek Bikes Weight Limits:

  Rider weight limit of 275lb: Road bikes with drop type handlebar
  Triathlon, time trial or Speed Concept bicycle Cruisers with large 26"
  tires and swept-back handlebar, Bicycles that fold.

  Rider weight limit of 300lbs: Hybrid bicycles with 700c wheels, tires
  larger than 28c, and flat handlebars City bicycles: hybrids with
  special equipment, cyclocross bicycles: with drop type handlebars,
  knobby 700c tires, and cantilever or disc brakes Mountain bikes of all
  types including: standard, race, cross-country, heavy-duty, trail,
  all-mountain, freeride, and jumping bikes of both the hardtail and
  full suspension variety.

2. Specialized Bike Warranty Policy (PDF) (weight info near the bottom):

  Also, some bicycles and components are built to be lightweight, which means they may not be appropriate for riders who are approaching 250 pounds in weight (over 240 pounds, for example). Riders approaching 250 pounds in weight should not ride any bicycle equipped with Specialized-branded composite seat posts, handlebar stems, or handlebars.

In other words: avoid the carbon/composite seat posts, handlebar stems and handlebars and you'll be fine with this brand.

3. Cannondale 2010 User's manual (PDF) (Starting at page 52)

High-performance road: 275 pound rider
General Purpose Riding, Cross-country MTB, Marathon MTB, Hardtail MTB, All mountain, Gravity, Freeride, Downhill, Dirt Jump, Cyclocross, basically everything they make except high-performance road bikes: 300 pound rider, as long as you stick to the intended use. Limit on cargo goes from 5 pounds to 55 pounds


How can I stop a belt brake (band brake) from squealing?

That style of drum brake relies on friction between steel and leather. If it is setup to stop reasonably well, they will always make some noise. Quite often, when new, they do indeed howl like Baoine Sidhe.

This will get better with use. From the photos, it appears your brakes are fairly new? Assuming that they are actual photos of your bike...

Rubbing talcum powder into the leather strap will help quiet the brake, but it may also have an adverse effect on your braking performance. Best to let it work out naturally, with time and use.

I hope that helps.


Fort bicycles company from Czech Republic: Where are the steel frames? Company renamed?

I would like to answer my own question, as I have investigated and found some interesting facts. The vendor name for the Fort steel frames since the year 2008 is Intec. Search for Intec, and you will find all the old frames. In this forum thread user verreweg explains the differences since the renaming (the manufacturer’s name is still Fort): The new frames are cavity sealed, have a chemical pre-treatment with phosphates (phosphated) and new stickers with the Intec label.


How do I stop chain from moving and jamming up when I stop pedaling my multi-speed bike?

That means that "drive" is coming in through the rear wheel.

Normally there's a one-way escapement in the rear wheel's hub called a freewheel or a freehub, but they do the same job, which is to let the rear wheel spin when the cassette remains still.

Yours sounds like it has sufficient dirt in it to carry a rotational torque across the interface.  Fancy words saying its dirty, and not disengaging properly.

Inside the freehub will be a mechanism something like this:

Those Pawls (not pauls) push one way, but when your wheel is going faster than the cassette, they're supposed to fold down against some spring pressure.  That's what makes the click or buzz or whirr of coasting.

In your case, they're not fully moving out of the way, or there's another obstruction in there, which is allowing the wheel to push the cassette around.

SOLUTION Open it and clean it.

Remove rear wheel from bike.
Remove cassette from wheel.

If you have a freewheel, then the clicky parts will be on the cassette.
If you have a freehub, the clicky parts will stay on the wheel (this can be removed from wheel but exact methods vary—often an 8/10/12 mm hex tool is needed.

Manipulate the parts and see where they're crunchy—that's the cause of your problem. You can probably use solvents or cleaners to improve the situation, by soaking the part, or pushing the cleaner fluids through cracks. If you have an ultrasonic cleaner then that can be perfect.  Rinse, flush, repeat, dry, and if they're running better, relube and reassemble.

If that doesn't help a lot, you may need to open the freehub.  THIS IS RISKY. There could be a hundred small ball bearings inside this unit, and no guarantee it's user-serviceable.  A straight-up replacement might be your answer instead, but do be aware there are many brands and fitment designs, so you need the same as what you removed.

More info at https://www.missionbicycle.com/how-do-freewheels-work


What is the difference between disk brake rotors?

There's also the rotor design.   There should be holes such that the whole brake pad presses over a void, and several times in the rotation.  Some really poor rotors don't have holes arranged right, so one circle of rotor is plain metal the whole way.  This doesn't clean the pad and contributes to bad braking.

Thickness is partially to cope with heat.  More mass takes longer to heat to extreme levels.  Less mass is lighter for riding.  Also thicker rotors will resist bending more-so than thinner ones of any quality.

Rotor Size or Diameter is a design thing, not a quality thing.  You need the rotor to suit the location of your calipers, and they will depend on the fork mounts and the rating of the fork.  Same goes for the ISO 6 bolt holes or for the centerlock style - it is yet another competing standard with relatively minimal effective braking differences.


I spent all last summer biking around Ireland, France, Italy (a bit), and Germany with my wife.  We went with map and compass to avoid being dependent on a battery to not get lost.

Map Scale.  In general, you need at least 1:250k map scale in my opinion.  More detailed (i.e., 1:200k or less) is nice, but you can end up buying/schlepping a lot of maps that way.

Ireland. We used a 1:350k Rough Guide map that was just not quite detailed enough for bike touring.

France. Go with Michelin 1:250k regional maps -- super accurate.

Swizerland. Use the SwissTrails pdfs (a tour operator, but they are good), and follow the signs.  Most amazing signage in Europe.

Germany. The ADFC/BVA bike maps. Also has crazy lots of signs, but the map really helps.

Italy.  We used Michelin again but were disappointed in the accuracy, particularly compared to Michelin's France maps -- never found a good alternative though (we left Italy after a week since it was just too hot to tour in July).

Map Holders.  See "Map During Touring?" on this site for info on map holders.

Compass.  Definitely strap a mini-compass to your handlebars.  Invaluable.

Camera.  I didn't really think of a camera as a navigation device before this last trip, but it is really useful to take pictures of maps. Many European towns have maps posted on the outskirts, and it can be helpful to take a picture to refer to later.  We would have been lost in a park in Italy had we not taken a picture of the trail map on the way in. Similarly, you can save on printing costs at an internet cafe by taking pictures of Google Maps at various zoom levels. I wouldn't plan a whole trip based on camera maps, but it is really nice to supplement.  Just make sure you have extra batteries, that you know how to use the pan and zoom on your camera, so you can look at the details of a map-picture.


Well, from the comments, I guess it is all right to strip the cranks and re-anodize them. There wouldn't be any serious effects on the material itself. The only downside is the process and the cost, which would probably cost close to, if not more, buying a new set of cranks.


From my experience, the single most important point is properly choosing your route. Google maps and the satellite view are your friends.

For example, there is a 2x2 lanes road nearby. I see cyclists there quite often when I drive. It is an extremely dangerous road, 90 km/h, big lorries, no shoulder. There is a smaller, parallel road though. It is very nice for cycling. It runs through the countryside, has trees which provide shadow in the summer, you can even hear the birds sing... and it has very low traffic, because you can drive much faster on the 2x2 lanes road.

Every time I see a cyclist candidate for suicide by lorry, I wonder... U NO HAVE GOOGLE MAPS?

So, if you're used to traveling by car, forget about the routes you know. The safest cycling route could be much shorter, perhaps a bit longer, but it is almost guaranteed to be completely different from your usual car route. Maybe you will have to walk down some stairs, or become a pedestrian for a few seconds to dodge a dangerous part. Try to consider all your options.

  What gear is essential for safety?

Besides the helmet, the most important is being noticed by drivers who are typing a text while lighting a cigarette. So that would be a safety fluorescent yellow or orange reflective vest on top of your normal clothes, plus a front and rear light.

Some drivers would need to get their eyes checked...

In my case, bright orange vest + bright red LED blinkie on the rear cut down the number of "I didn't see you!" from once a week to once a year. It works!

Besides that, check your local regulations for what is allowed or not. Feel free to ignore them (with moderation) if it is safer, for example it is usually much safer to be the last vehicle to cross an intersection instead of being the first with all the cars behind you.

Some other very important rules:

Stay one door length away from any stopped car.

From the inside of the car, it is difficult to see if a cyclist is coming, especially for someone who sits in the rear of the car, since they don't have a mirror. Also, no-one looks into the mirror.

Thus, keep your distances. That way when a door will inevitably open in front of you, you will not crash into it. You will simply ride past without having to swerve into traffic (and under a bus) to dodge the opening door.

For example, this bike lane is designed to kill you. You'd have to ride on the dashed line, or smash into a door.

Notice where danger might come from, and expect it.

A kid will always step right in front of you from behind that big truck which blocks your view (or behind anything else that blocks your view, bus stop, publicity panel, whatever). If there are buildings, then one of the doors will open and a lady pushing a stroller will come out. If there is a parking exit, then a car will come out. I've even had a car come out of the entry of the underground parking lot right in front of me, completely oblivious of the fact they were crossing a bike lane.

Thus your speed and position on the road should take this into account. Too far right and you will see the surprise a bit later, too fast and you won't have time to stop.

Someone will step from behind that bus stop and into your path:

...and when you swerve to avoid them, your wheel will hit the curb thoughtfully placed there by the designers, and you will crash. In this case, ride on the sidewalk on the left of the bike lane and give a wide berth to the bus stop. Yes it's illegal. Who cares. Always look out for the tiny stupid bits of curb that seem to grow out of the tarmac everywhere, if you take them at the wrong angle you will fly. Another reason why fat slick tyres are a nice thing for city riding.

This is an example of a crossing where drivers crossing your path won't see you because of a brick wall. Thus you must think for them.

Never sway to the left without looking

If you hear nothing, you still get run over by a Prius.

Thus, never ride to much on the right if there is a possibility that you will have to dodge something (like a pothole). It's OK to dodge the pothole by riding closer to the curb... but not the other way around unless you look over your shoulder for that sneaky Prius.
Make sure both brakes brake.
If you feel unsafe, pick another route.
If a car does not have its turn signals on, it will turn anyway
Sometimes, cycling infrastructure requires a full suspension MTB (or just use the road instead, seriously)

Sometimes, cycling infrastructure is designed to kill you.

In this case, you will need to look over your shoulder to check for cars coming from the left, while also dodging the bollards. Also, a dog will run into you from the right. If you're a beginner, dismount and cross as a pedestrian. Note the bollards are dark grey, not reflective, and thus rather difficult to see at night...

...also if you follow the arrow, you will end up into a curb. Bummer.

Picture this with pedestrians and other cyclists hiding the bollards. I would just ride on the road:

always mind the right hook

Anyway. Cycling is pretty safe if you are careful and aware of your surroundings. I gave these examples to make you focus on the issues of visibility, line of sight, murderous cycling infrastructure, and anticipating what will happen.

When there is an open garage door, a car will come out of it. Maybe not today... but if you adjust your speed and position as if it was going to happen, when it eventually does (and it will) you're not surprised and simply come to a soft stop. Riding safely like this might cost you a couple minutes... not a problem ;)

Have a nice ride!


Are there electronic/active theft deterrents for bicycles?

You can get GPS trackers for bikes, just like cars and motorbikes. The good ones warn you immediately when your bike starts moving (eg via text message to your phone) and you can see where it is on a map for recovery (you might want to call the police rather than tackle thieves yourself). Of course the downside to GPS trackers is than they stop working if the bike is put in the back of a van.

A google search should give you plenty of results.


What is the science behind interval training?

There are a number of possibilities but I can't say definitively. I'd guess it's grown from one or a combination of the following, in no particular order:

i. Consideration of event demands.

Coaches often create intervals which replicate the demands of a rider's goal events. e.g. if you are racing an event with a lot of short climbs which are often attacked, then some hard efforts of around that duration might be worth considering. Or in the case of track racing, it might be a certain number of laps of the track, with sufficient recovery to go again. And of course if you are doing time trials, then efforts that replicate time trial pace and duration are common.

ii. Published studies involving interval training.

There have been over the years a number of published studies which involved various forms of interval training. Many of these have been shown to be physiologically beneficial in some ways, and so these may have formed the basis of many such interval workout designs (e.g. Tabata). As has been commented upon, whilst many such workouts have demonstrated benefit in laboratory study, they are by no means necessarily optimal for any given individual, or for the specific requirements of that rider.

I should add that many of the published studies referred to were not primarily about identifying whether or how much an interval session was beneficial but rather it may have been about answering a different question, such as identifying limits of human performance, or in research on physiological (e.g. hormonal, blood lactate, VO2 etc) or psychological responses to particular types of effort, or indeed simply as a way to test models of human performance, or to assess the validity of particular testing methodologies, or what happens when other factors are controlled (e.g. environmental conditions). Indeed many studies are not performed on trained cyclists but are primarily about assessing health impacts of such workouts on untrained individuals or for those with particular medical conditions. But along the way interval prescriptions and their impact were measured and noted.

iii. The terrain and riding environment people had available.

e.g. some people had a local climb which took about 5-minutes to climb, and so they ended up doing hill repeats of around 5-minutes. Or they had a section of flat road which enabled ~20-min of hard steady state effort before they had to stop for some reason (e.g. edge of town, traffic lights, end of road). Turn around and do it again and voila, 2x20-min intervals are born. Or they are time limited and/or on an indoor trainer and so they are looking for ways to make the session useful as well as sufficiently mentally stimulating. Lots of interval sets are designed to fit within a given time frame.

iv. Mental considerations

Riders need variable challenges in their training diet to keep it mentally stimulating, fun even. A way to reduce the drudge of banging out the same old miles every day. Intervals are perfect for this, while admittedly for others they'd rather scratch their eyeballs out. So coaches design training challenges as way to balance the psychological needs of a rider with their physiological development. Training needs to be sufficiently enjoyable, else you are less likely to do it.

v. A way to track improvement

When you do a set of intervals on a regular basis it makes for a good way to measure improvements in performance, and also when performance is no longer improving, it's also a sign a change in routine is perhaps warranted.

vi. Folklore. It worked for someone else, so why not try it on others?

A "what we always did" or "they did it and it worked" kind of approach. A mythical secret training sauce. Again by no means optimal nor necessarily specific to an individual's particular needs, but as I'll mention later, not always as bad as some might think. "We did these efforts and through trial and error discovered we needed 10 minutes recovery and could do 5-7 of them at most. And our riders were flying 5 weeks later."

vii. Understanding the key physiological capabilities, capacities and development needs of a given rider, and formulating training workouts that are specifically suitable for them.

This is where one forms a deeper understanding of what sort of training efforts are most suitable for a given individual's physiological development. This is in part informed as much by the published research as it is by measurement and monitoring of the specific responses an individual has to such training, especially via the use of a power meter.

There are only a handful of physiological capacities one needs to be concerned with and the balance of these attributes helps guide what sort of workouts are suitable.

The reality is that the impact of training at different intensities on stimulating beneficial changes to these various physiological attributes is on a continuum. What this means is that most intervals sets provide a development stimulus across the range of physiological capability. e.g. just because you are doing short hard intervals doesn't mean they won't also have an impact on longer range aerobic capabilities. It's really about targeting the primary adaptations you seek to improve while also recognising the impacts also spill over to other areas.

And this is why, despite some level of folklore and ad-hockery to how such things arose, the physiological responses to such efforts still, by and large, work.

Finally, while intervals typically are mostly about physiological development, there are of course other factors to consider when it comes to a rider's improvement: skills, mental approach, recovery, team work, strategy, tactics, and often interval training can also incorporate these elements (e.g. sprint training with a mate, team pursuit style efforts and so on).

There are thousands of published scientific studies involving various uses of high intensity interval training protocols. There are also many studies comparing HIIT with predominantly threshold level aerobic and/or steady state training.

Listed below are some studies comparing HIIT protocols. This is by no means an exhaustive list of references.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Laursen/publication/7665818_Influence_of_High-Intensity_Interval_Training_on_Adaptations_in_Well-Trained_Cyclists/links/5aebc78aa6fdcc8508b6e3dc/Influence-of-High-Intensity-Interval-Training-on-Adaptations-in-Well-Trained-Cyclists.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737829/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24206175

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22124355

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sms.12165

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17461391.2011.606844

https://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/ijspp.2012-0389

https://dev-journals2013.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2007/09000/Nonconsecutive__versus_Consecutive_Day.00030.aspx

https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0042-109539

http://www.ijpefs.com/index.php/ijpefs/article/download/76/67

http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/17553/

https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1136/

https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/handle/2134/25496

http://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/15517

https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-0631-2682

https://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/apnm-2015-0238


Good idea to commute with a road bike and keep it outside?

Forget the tarp. Ultimately, the greatest danger to your bike is not the weather, it's thieves. As long as you invest in a good lock, practice good locking technique, and don't live in an area full of degenerates you should be fine.

My bike is worth more than $1000 and I ride it all over and lock it up outside frequently.

When you select your bike, don't get the flashiest, most decal laden option available. Get a low-key, plain looking bike. Especially good if it has stickers and dings in it. Ideally, your bike will be the worst looking bike on the rack, let other people's bikes be the targets for thieves.

Here is a picture of my primary bike, which I've used to commute and go to the bars and get groceries etc (though I don't have the rack in the picture). I have a fairly fancier appearing wheelset on this bike, yet I've left it locked up in fairly dodgy places, but I still have it.

See this question for additional information regarding bike security: Theft deterrents (in addition to locking up a bike)


What are the possible upgrades for a 40-year-old Bottecchia 10 Speed?

Bottechia frames from that period use an italian threaded bottom bracket. I assume also down tube friction shifters?

The simple answer is that you can upgrade the bike all the way to current standards, if you are willing to spend the money. But it is not what most would consider to be cost effective to do so.

Upgrading the rear freewheel beyond a 7 speed cluster isn't likely to work, without new wheels, and if you only upgrade to a 7-speed freewheel, you will need to change your chain to match. Changing your chain requires changing your derailleurs, both of them, preferably, although you might get away with leaving the front derailleur.

If you spend the money to go that far, a whole new bike kit, which should be possible to make work on the frame, isn't that different in price, depending on your choices. A SRAM Apex Kit should cost around $1500 dollars, including new basic wheels, and current standard wide range gearing.

But if you want to keep the original wheels, you will be very limited in how far you can change things.


Bike feels like it's slipping/shifting gear when pedalling while standing up on max gear

Chain is probably jumping on cassette.

This could be just a stiff chain.  Clean and lube the chain.

If not a stiff chain then more likely a worn chain and or cassette/freewheel. When they are worn they don't match up well and can jump.

If by lower you mean mean the bigger diameter gears they are less likely to jump as they have more teeth touching.

You can get a relative cheap tool to check for chain stretch.  If the chain is stretched then replace it.  Cassette/freewheel is a little harder to measure wear - I bring up a picture of a new one and compare.  Or just buy a new one and compare.  Or just post a picture of it in you question.  If you replace the cassette/freewheel then always replace the chain.  You can get like 2-3 chains per cassette.


Your only options are to replace them with a non cracked set, or to cover the crack with something else.

Silicon does not glue very well.

Personally I have used a 10cm section of 30mm heatshrink tubing, and used a hot air blower to contract the tube down on itself.  This makes a grippy top-skin for a handgrip that was breaking down and going tacky.

Downsides, most heatshrink is black and often has lines of text printed on it.  Some variants have glue on the inside, which helps too.


Is there more than one type of tapered steerer?

Official website says that these are the only models available:

  1-1/8" STKM steel, 1-1/8" aluminum (-163g), XL 1-1/8" steel, XL 1-1/8"
  aluminum, 1.5" to 1-1/8" tapered aluminum (-123g), 1.5" aluminum
  (-146g)

Your fork is straight, the taper at the bottom is required for interference fitted crown race. I've measured straight Suntour XCM just in case and it has same dimensions as in the the question.


Is frame number the same thing as serial number?

Yes, two phrases for the same thing.

More specifically its the frame's serial number.  Other components may have their own serial numbers too.

Any electric shifting component will likely have serial numbers which can be read by software, as will power meters or other sensors.

Small priced items generally don't have serial numbers.


replacing a Trek 4300 bottom bracket with a new one

The new bottom bracket will fit as long as it is of the same thread and type. The Trek uses an English thread bearing. Shimano also says that you must use a mountain bottom bracket with a mountain crank. The new crank must be pretty close to the same tooth count as the original. The front derailleur is designed to work with a limited range of ring gears. If you are in the 40-44 tooth range you will be fine with the original derailleur. It may require some adjusting as the chain line most likely will be slightly different. I recently did a similar swap and I had to move around  the bearing spacers to adjust the chain line.


The shifter dosen't want to shift to the lower gear

The normal process would be something like:

Fit the new rear derailleur to the bike without crossthreading the bolt.  Then thread the chain through the jockey wheels, and join it.   (if you've changed the toothcount then you may need a longer/shorter chain, but that's a tangent)
Set the high and low limit screws on the rear derailleur so that the chain can't go too far.  Do this by pedalling the crank by hand slowly, and push the derailleur with your other hand.   The chain should move up and down but not over the end of the cassette.   If it goes too far, or not far enough, then tweak the limit screw by a half turn.  Experiment to find the right rotation.
Fit your inner cable - start by setting your chain on the second smallest cog in the cassette. Then move the shifter into the highest gear (the hardest one) without moving the chain or wheel.  Set all your barrel adjusters to be closed, and then back them out a turn or two.
The inner cable should come through the outers and then through a pinch bolt on the derailleur.  Pull the inner cable taut and pinch it down with the bolt.
Test turn the crank by hand - your chain should move to the smallest cog as the minor slack in the inner cable is taken up.
Try shifting while slowly hand-pedalling, up and down the entire cassette.  If the chain seems to be struggling to get up the cassette, then back out a barrel adjuster a half-turn, and vise versa.

  NOTE: This is a finger-chomping area.  Between the chain and anything it runs on, as well as the wheel spokes and the frame.  So pedal slowly, use the rear brake to stop the wheel not your hand, and be mindful.

You might not get it perfect, but as long as shifting happens then you can move onto a riding test.  The bike will be subtly different when under tension, so making it perfect in the stand can be a waste of time.

Also, after a month or so the gears will un-adjust themselves as your new inner cable  settles down.  The metal wire strands compact slightly, making the wire slightly longer which throws your adjustment off.  So just twiddle the barrel adjuster out some more to restore shifting.


Combine Nexus 3 Hub with Torpedo 3 gear shifter?

According to Sheldon Brown's exhaustive list, the Shimano is fairly close to the two hubs that use the Torpedo shifter. Shimano wants 14.2mm of cable pull between gears 1 and 2 where the two Torpedo-compatible hubs want 14.0mm and 13.8mm, then between 2 and 3 it's 7.8mm vs 8.7mm and 7.7mm, which suggests that the tolerances on the hubs are sufficient that you should be able to find and adjustment that works reliably.

HUB                  -> mm of cable pull
Shimano 3-speed Nexus IG    14.2   7.8
SRAM T3                     14.0   8.7
SRAM i-motion 3             13.8   7.7
Sturmey-Archer 3-sp trigger 14.2   9.5

The Sturmey-Archer trigger might work, but you might find it over-tightens the cable in top gear.

You could also use a handlebar-mounted friction shifting lever like this:

This question about the differences between the various Sachs/SRAM hubs might also be useful to read.


It sounds like you need to adjust your rear derailleur - the cable may have slipped a bit and have insufficient cable tension, or if you recently had a crash, you may have bent your derailleur.

I'd recommend reading this to learn how to adjust your derailleur.


replace shimano st-ef-41-l with shimano alivio left shift

Any Shimano front shifter of the same shift family (mtb triple) should work.
At work, I have used old, parts-bin shifters as replacements on repairs due to the 2020 shortage without issue, including front shifters for old mountain or hybrid bikes, and 8-speed shifters on 7-speed drivetrains.
si.shimano.com has the compatibility charts for Shimano components. the relevant part for MTB front shifter compatibility is here: https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/com/?cid=C-432&acid=C-445
if you want to confirm that the cable pull of the Acera or Alivio 3x shifter matches that of your ST-EF41, you can see that in the section "Front Drivetrain Compatibility [mtb]" ST-EF41-L appears in the box for 3x7 front shifters (SL/ST). we also see, for example, that the ST-EF505-L appears in the same box. from this we deduce that the cable pull is the same between the EF-41-L and EF-505-L.
ST-EF505-L also appears in the section for 3x9 front shifters, where it shares a box with Alivio and Acera 3x shifters such as SL-M4000-L, indicating that the 3x front shifter cable pull is shared among these systems, at least up to the level of Alivio.
You'll have to figure out what to do for a brake lever, assuming you get the standalone shifter and not an integrated unit. ST-T4000-L and ST-T3000-L are the integrated controls with mechanical brake levers and the Alivio or Acera name, although they're not the only options. often with older bikes we have simply cut the shifter portion out of the old integrated control to make room for the new shifter, rather than installing a new brake lever.
Either an Acera or Alivio 3 speed front shifter will work, in terms of having the correct cable pull. Alivio is the slightly higher-end group. if you want help choosing between the two, you can look up the shifters by part number in the specification handbook, provided you know which models you want to compare. if the Alivio option is M-4000, you'll need to go back a year or two.


(MTB rider here, XC & DH, with little road exp.).

There is a certain speed for which up to that speed you should pedal, above it you gain more from adopting the most aerodynamic position and use gravity the best you can.

In my case I find this speed by trial and error in specific circumstances, because it changes according to slope, terrain, bike and tires used and length of the descent.

What I have found is that once you get to the highest gear and start approaching your max cadence, it is very difficult to provide the power needed to accelerate, and it may be even harder to do so while tucked in aero position. At this point, if the incline is steep enough, tucking in more will give you more advantage than pedalling.

In have one example, where a hardtail mtb with knobby tires on a paved road with little incline (I can ride it up at 20km/hr approx) this speed is around 42 km/hr. At this point I'm near max cadence in highest gear, so I adopt my aero position. It is common for me to even overtake other riders who are pedaling and when I get to the bottom of the hill, I can pedal harder because I have had a rest during the descent. In those descents, I get near 50 Km/hr just because of aerodynamics. (In a road bike in the same road, my threshold is near the same, and i know/feel my speed in aero position is much higher, unfortunately I don't have the numbers yet)

This works for me because in my general shape and level of fitness, on MTB rides, if I stop and rest for 3-5 minutes I resume pedalling approx 5 km/hr faster than if I pedal continuously. For longer rests my body starts to cool down and I have to re-warm up.

And this is where descent length comes into place. If the descent is long enough for you to cool down, (climate can have a role in this too) then the benefit of the rest you get, is negated because once you get to the bottom of the hill you have cooled off and will have to warm up again. For these cases, I recommend what some call "soft pedalling", that is pedal just to keep the blood flowing, sustaining the heart rate up. This can be done at intervals, alternating between aero position and soft pedalling, according to your cool-off time in that particular descent/climate.

You need to find a certain speed threshold, a simple computer will do. I know this is subjective, but there is a speed where you feel you need to put double the effort to get 1 Km/hr faster. In that point tuck in aero position an watch what happens with your speed.


Claris ST-2300 shift/brake units compatible with V-brakes?

You are correct that the Altus rear derailleur will work with Claris 8 speed shifters. I think the front derailleur will work as well.

Regular V brakes will not work with the Claris brake levers. V-brakes require a different leverage ratio at the lever than road caliper and cantilever brakes. The 'mini' V-brakes apparently do with with road brake levers.

The most important thing to be aware of is that replacing flat bars with drop bars is going to significantly affect the bike's cockpit geometry. Frames for drop bars generally have a shorter reach (horizontal distance between bottom bracket and top of head tube) than frames for flat bars. This is because the hand position on drop bars is further forward than flat bars. You may end up with bike that has an unridable hand position without a very short stem.

As stated in the comments, flat to drop bar conversions are problematic and not recommended. Apart from the the cockpit geometry issue shifter/brake units are a expensive component (compared to the cost of the whole bike).

If you want the Giant to feel a bit faster, move your bars lower by dropping the stem down to the lowest position on the steerer (i.e., move the spacers from below it to above it), and possibly replace the stem with one a 10mm step longer. Stems are inexpensive and easy to swap out.


Any tricks to disassembling an Easton R4 rear hub?

Yes, this is a horrible hub due tot he cone shaped pieces you are hammering on. You need to go to the shop and buy one 19mm (I believe) cone wrench. It'll solve everything. Also, buy another set of these cone pieces as they are what adjust the bearing tension (they are sealed bearings) and you have likely damaged them.

If there is no indentation for a cone wrench, which was the case on mine, I used a rubber mallet and taped at the cones obliquely as possible till they were off. The new ones will have the cones wrench fitting.

Easton had a problem with these cones coming loose. The way that mechanics handled it was to use loctite, which held them in place but made it insanely hard to remove without that oversized cone wrench. The new cones you'll buy are the updates and will hold on their own.

While your at it, be sure to clean the pawls thoroughly and use a thick oil, like gear oil, or marine grease to lube. And pick up a new seal so it won't let water in.

That is what the problem is. I destroyed the cone pieces in the end, cleaned the threads on the hub, lubed them with light grease and put them together. Customer is still using them years later.  Good luck!


Completely new to indoor cycling, is there a MUCH cheaper alternative to power meter that would be compatible with the RGT app?

You can basically use any trainer with a powermeter (I would call it a "smart trainer" but others do protest too much). The cheapest ones start at 200€, better ones, with a more accurate power meter, say 300€. There is no need to have a powermeter on your bike. These trainers are not that much more expensive than the copletely dumb ones. You are looking for Bluetooth or ANT+ connections. A powertmeter in atrainer is easier to make than a bicycle poweemeter and hence much cheaper. Bicycle powermeters cost as much as a whole trainer.
"Smart" trainers, or trainers with a powermeter in general, normally calculate the power you are performing against the brake automatically. Some are more accurate, some are less accurate. Some virtual competitions require only certain more accurate devices. But for a smart trainer you do NOT have to measure the speed of your wheel and have the RTG or Rouvy or Zwift or whatever other app to calculate your power from your wheel revolution speed. The trainer is calibrated and is giving you the estimate from its own powermeter - more accurate or less accurate, but its own automatic estimate nonetheless.
Also you do not need a subscription-based app for training with a smart trainer. A basic app is normally included and if not, there are alternatives available. It normally includes various power-based exercise programs.
You only need subscription for advanced features, especially for virtual rides and online riding with other people, for special training programs and related.
I won't do any product recommendation, there are many products. Some are using a wheel driven by your rear tyre (the basic ones), some have their own axle and cassette and you connect it instead of your rear wheel (direct drive). They use different braking mechanism (hydraulic, magnetic...) and differ in the level of noise and many other factors. You have to do some research yourself.
Weiwen Ng linked a nice survey of trainers https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/the-smart-trainer-recommendations-guide-winter-2019-2020.html You can do a web search and fine many other reviews and surveys.


Yes, this is a reasonably accurate way of doing it. Along similar lines, with the axle supports square with the base and everything reasonably well aligned, you can just use a vernier caliper to measure the distance between the support itself and the rim sidewall.

Dish sticks have the upside that they produce a very accurate, fast reading with a simple tool, and because of their nature, the precise dimensions/alignment of the tool itself isn't what makes them accurate. Getting the exact number isn't really what's important; getting a reading that you can trust is reflective of reality is, and dish sticks are good at that. I've found that when doing the same thing the "math" way, either with a ruler or a caliper, it winds up taking longer and being more fidgety. But it's totally fine for home/occasional use.

Dedicated dishing tools also have the nice feature that, when they're flipped to the "gappy" side of the wheel being dished and you touch one end of the tool against the rim, the other side is showing you a picture of how much more you have to bring it over magnified about 4x (2x because you're touching the tool to one side of the rim, and 2x because to correct a dishing error of the rim surface being Y distance away from where it's supposed to be, you need to bring the rim Y/2 over to one side.) I think that probably makes it a little easier to get it dead perfect. In other words, they make it easy to see what are actually very small errors in dish, which can be a little hard to pick up on with a ruler or caliper. How much errors this small matter is a separate question of course.


How to mount TT shifters and TT brake levers together?

I can't tell for sure what's going on in that picture, but I think it's a modified older Vision lever that clamps on the OD rather than inside the bars, and then the shifter is just stuck out the end. Ways of doing it with off the shelf parts that I know of are the Jtek Aerobrake, Ultegra ST-6871 and DA ST-9071, the Record and Athena tri/tt EPS levers, and SRAM eTap blips (their equivalent, kind of).


Will 2 x 10 speed front derailleur work with 11 speed set up?

11 and 10 speed cranksets have slightly different chainring spacings to accommodate the difference in 11 and 10 speed chain widths. Front derailleurs have slightly different movement also.

You have a matching 10 speed front derailleur and crankset, so really the question is whether an 11 speed chain will work on a 10 speed front. I think from past answers I have seen here it will work OK.


How to remove play in cantilever pivot point?

Before I add my two cents here I'll mention that this post is rather old to be unanswered.  If you figured this out already write an answer and choose it as "the answer" so it doesn't show up as unanswered and others can learn from it.

So, by "play" you could mean front to back (as in the length of the post/bolt) or around the bushing (as in a difference in the diameter of the post and hole in the brake arm).

I just checked the oldest canti-brake bike I've got (from the 1980s) and there is no play in either sense described above. So I would attempt to solve that problem next as the things you've already tried are all good, especially your choice of pads.  You might want to try the salmon colored rather than the dual compound though. They are the better of the two compounds for braking but they wear out faster.

If it is the former type of play I agree with the advice of @Daniel R Hicks.  If it is the other and you don't have replaceable canti-studs you ought to replace the brakes (arms) themselves. If there is play when they are at rest they will shimmy and shudder when braking. If there is play due to the strength of fork then you need a brake booster as suggested by @armb.

Another question for you - are both the brakes and levers original to the bike or have you replaced either? Mixing canti and v-brake components will cause problems but I haven't heard of noise being one of them.

A final note - take heart! I have a friend who is a fanatic about bike maintenance.  He was a bike mechanic, but now is an engineer in aerospace and his bike stuff is rather high end.  Last year he adjusted and replaced everything and never found the source of the noise.  He replaced the bike instead!


Chainline on a trek 660 fixie conversion

There seems to be a bit of confusion in your question about how chainline is measured, and it's relationship to bottom bracket spindle length and the rest of the bike - you haven't given enough information to answer your question.  The rear hub and sprocket's chainline measurement is required to decide how to adjust the chainline in the front.  Even then, the published information about chainline for most cranksets (including the one you have linked) is scare at best.

The easiest thing for you to do would probably be to acquire a used/cheap sealed cartridge bottom bracket in your desired length and see how things measure up.  Once you've made measurements, you can lock in the size for your SKF.


Removing Magura HS11 rim brake (hydraulic) without quick release lever

To undo the bolt attaching the brake mechanism to the fork, you need a Torx 25 star-shaped bit.
I had one in my toolbox, but they are readily available at DIY shops - just google ‘torx 25 bit’
There are two bolts on the brake mech, but it is only the bottom bolt which screws into the shoulder/boss on the fork, I didn’t touch the top bolt.
Removing the bolt enables you to lift the brake mech off the fork on one side, and the wheel can then be removed without deflating it - I have fitted wider schwalbe marathon 700/35mm tyres, but needed the mudguards moving slightly so they didn’t touch.
The brake mech bolts back on easily, and seems to need no adjustment.  I keep a torx bit and screwdriver bit holder in my bike bag now in case of any more punctures.
I've also fitted ‘Slime’ innertubes to reduce the chance of a puncture.


Carbon steerer tube scratch (inside the tube) - how bad is it?

Old question.  Not sure if anyone is interested, but here is a shot.
Qualifiyer: I am not a bicycle frame Designer or bike repair person; however I have spent 30 years in the aircraft industry telling people how to repair composites.
That picture is a bit misleading, looks like a flash blew out some color & detail.
The tear line & location makes me think this is a fiberglass isolation ply.  If it is, the floppy piece would be white.  Delaminated fiberglass is normally white, bonded is nearly translucent.  The main use for a thin fiberglass isolation ply would be to prevent galvanic corrosion between the carbon & aluminum.  The aluminum will eventually go away via corrosion, again white.  I am assuming the head stem is aluminum.
Also, fiberglass has a 3X modulus of elasticity over carbon.  It's more stretchy.  Probably making it more resistant to the abuse from your expander plug & putting that extra layer between the plug & carbon.
I see no Structural issue here.  a thin coat of room temperature curing resin, paint or even fingernail polish just over the missing fiberglass with a very slight overlap will take care of any potential galvanic corrosion issues.  If not, it will take a long time for the corrosion to do much damage.


Handle bar rotates on its own. Can’t screw the screw all the way down

That’s a tension bolt for a quill stem I think. Is there a wedge shaped piece floating around inside the fork now? You can fish it out with that bolt or maybe flip the bike upside down.

The last few mm of the bolt look stripped which may or may not be an issue. The small bend in the bolt shouldn’t be an issue.

Try cleaning everything then reinstalling with a dab of grease on the threads and the interface between wedge and stem. Don’t over tighten the bolt.

You can buy a new quill stem at your local bike store or online for not much $. You’ll need to get the right size for your fork diameter.


Adult stabilizer wheels ,16" wheels mount securely to bike frame

In my experience, training wheels are an old way of learning to ride a bike and end up teaching the user to ride poorly.  As you've already noticed, turning with training wheels does not replicate how we turn when on two wheels.

The modern solution is to use a balance bike for the rider to gain a better intuitive feel for the mechanics of balancing.  These are essentially bikes without pedals, and a slightly lower saddle.  They allow the user to "stride" along and take very long "steps" while gliding between steps, hence an alternative name "strider"

You can engineer one from a regular 2-wheel bike by removing the training wheels, and removing the pedals from the crank arms.  Store the pedals for later refitting when confidence improves.  Its possible to remove the cranks and the whole BB axle, but that gets messier.

Similar results come from riding a scooter, but this tends to cause a favourite leg which doesn't translate to cycling as well.

If your rider is such that balancing may not ever happen, then a tricycle is a better solution.  At least the bike won't be able to flop ~5 degrees and then loose all drive from the rear wheel.   Two rear-drive wheels that always touch the ground are superior to a single drive wheel with two outriggers.


Yes, plenty of manufacturers make GPS units for bikes. Some models to look out for if you want to research their capabilities include Garmin, Polar, Powertap, Lezyne and Mio. Depending on the model, these allow for recording of routes while you ride, or pre-loading routes for guidance.

Additionally, apps are available to use a smart-phone in this way.


If a derailleur breaks on the road, you can try to find a gear combination such that the chain can be stably placed on a given chainring and cog and shortening the chain to fit on this combination. This question gives some guidelines on how to select that cog and chainring. Note that you should also check the wheel for damage -- depending on how the derailleur goes, you may de-tension some spokes or do other wheel damage. You basically need a chain tool and ideally a quick link/special rivet to shorten the chain.

In Video form:

As for why derailleurs break on the road, I'd say wearing out, being out of adjustment, bent or taking an impact would be reasonable causes. One can avoid some of these by not putting the bike derailleur side down and avoiding impacts to the derailleur.


They need to be bled. Nothing else for it. To do it yourself, you need a bleed kit and new fluid for whatever brake system you have, along with some other miscellaneous tools. It's considered a relatively advanced job as bikes go.

If by "very squeaky" you mean the loud howl of an oil-contaminated brake pad, you should just get new pads, and degrease the rotor thoroughly with something that doesn't leave residue.


I always carry a tube with me in my backpack on longer tours. I left it in the packet I bought it in, but only to protect it from being punctured by the other stuff I carry in the bag (eg a Leatherman and keys).

I doubt that this is necessary but with or without the carton, the tube fits perfectly at the bottom of my Camelback, and the bit of added weight doesn't freak me out, too.

There never was talkum on the tube, and it is a pretty expensive tube, so do not worry about that.


Schwinn Vestige no longer lights up; why not?

Daniel, I ended up going to the local Schwinn dealer and doing a warranty exchange on the lights. Schwinn supplied the whole new setup (as they had initially made it a non-repairable unit) and I installed it. I had to pull apart the entire headset and clip all the zip ties on the front fork. The whole process was time consuming, but not challenging. If the shop had done it, it would have cost me. The hardest part was treading the new cable through the hole in the frame and cutting it to the correct length


What makes one bike faster than another when same wattage is applied?

Most likely aerodynamics.  Modern road bike vendors spend a lot of money improving the aerodynamics, especially for the racing top models. Mor for the so-called aerobikes, but even for the ultra=light bikes, up to the point the weight permits.
The weight is not too important on the flats and is less important than many think even in the hills as most of the weight is in the rider anyway.
Tyres will make some of the difference too. Obviously, top ricing tyres will be faster on smooth tarmac. I made a big improvement from the stock Schwalbe tyres to better G-Ones on my gravelbike. But aerodynamics of modern bikes cannot be beaten by tyres, the differences are usually smaller there.
The groupset may be more clumsy when shifting but when the gear is there, it does it job very well. If you want more gears and have the money (which you probably have if you have the Cervélo S), you can buy 105, it will be lighter, but do not expect to be any faster on flats. (I ride Claris regularly. Some would miss the gears, the shifting requires some power in your hands, but otherwise it does the job done well enough.)


Shimano Sora rear derailleur install, U-ring on bolt

That black strip to which your derailleur is attached, which can be assumed to be the hanger, looks strangely narrow, like a metallic popsicle stick. Is that by chance a part related to the Shimano Direct Mount (TM) system? Some sort of adapter link plate? It seems incompatibly narrow for the derailleur: it's fitting entirely into the semi-circular gap in the derailleur's bolt plate (what we're calling "the opening" in this Q&A.) That shouldn't be happening; the hanger shouldn't be pressing against the axle retainer clip at all.

Assuming there is no other compatibility issue, and you want to keep that hanger, one way to fix this would be to put a suitably dimensioned stainless steel washer between it  and the derailleur, to effectively make the hanger look as if it has a larger area around its receptacle for the derailleur to mate with.

The real fix is to install a traditional standard mount hanger that is compatible with the Sora.

For reference, here is a picture of how my Sora is attached to a standard type hanger. Notice also how the hanger is angled; it doesn't protrude rearward, but slants forward, so it doesn't anywhere near align with that opening recess in the derailleur's end plate.


How to remove old style chainring held in by a single nut between bearing and chainring?

No exposed threads to check.  The Sheldon Brown site was helpful in general, but couldn't answer the direction, but led me to find a Park Tool page which suggested it should be right handed.  That knowledge combined with the PB Blaster sitting on it for a couple hours and I was able to break it free with a few hard hits from my rubber mallet again.


How do I maximize my upper body workout from riding?

The "pure" answer to the question as asked is probably as others have said, climb as much as possible.  But perhaps a better answer is to admit that cycling is awesome for aerobic fitness and leg strength but not as great on the upper body.

Obviously, cross-training is an option, but even if you are 100% committed to your bike, you can probably get significant results from two common calisthenics pre and/or post ride: Push-ups and Pull-ups.  The key is that you want to develop your chest/shoulders/triceps (pushing) and your back/biceps (pulling), and doing multi-joint exercises is likely more efficient/helpful than isolation exercises.  If you can't do pull-ups and don't have access to a lat pulldown machine you can help yourself by using your legs to give yourself a gentle assist.  If you have or can scrounge some dumbbells you can do a bit more.

Try this:

Do a set of 20-25 pushups, then 8-12 pull-ups, either just before or just after you put on your shorts/jersey.
Do a second set 5 minutes later after you've made up your water bottles, etc., put on your shoes, whatever.
Pump up your tires and get your bike "ready," then do a third set.

Go for a ride, and try to get in as much climbing as possible.  You'll probably be amazed at how quickly your strength will improve just with three sets of good form concentrated upper body calisthenics pre-ride.  Again, if you have dumbbells or a weight bench you could do bench presses/military presses, or laterals, and you could do rows to help with the "pull," but the goal isn't really do to a full on weightlifting session, just some quick calisthenics with one effective push and one effective pull exercise and at least two, preferably three sets as you prep for your ride.


Can it be estimated when it would actually be beneficial to increase drag in tailwind?

A tailwind reduces your relative airspeed and therefor the drag you generate. You can go faster relative to the ground  with the same power output. The only time increasing your profile might be beneficial is if the wind is traveling faster than you are, relative to the ground .... Unless you cycle slowly or the wind is very fast, it's usually not the case. This is cycling, so aerodynamic is mostly about reducing drag, unlike sailing where maximising lift is important.


Does tilting the bike on a repair stand so the fork is vertical impede any repairs?

How your bike is positioned in a work stand should depend on the type of work you are going to perform.

Much of the time it seems more convenient to have the bike in the stand so it is titled forward with the front wheel a fair bit lower than the rear. Such as position prevents the front wheel from flopping over and puts many key components and systems such as both derailleurs, the rear brake, front crankset, handlebars and shifters at a good working height in relationship with each other.

This minimizes the amount of excessive bending and reaching required for many common tasks such as adjusting shifting, cleaning the drivetrain, replacing chains, wrapping handlebars etc.

If you are working on a less common task such as bleeding hydraulic brakes, replacing a bottom bracket, or installing a new bash guard on the down tube of a mountain bike; adjust the bike stand height and/or tilt appropriately to accommodate the specific task you need to perform.

For something like bleeding a rear hydraulic brake this could mean lowering the overall height of the stand and rotating so the the front of the bike is tilted higher than the rear wheel to maintain an upward flow from the caliper to the brake levers.

It can help to have the bike level when adjusting the saddle’s angle and setback but honestly it is usually easier to perform those tasks with the bike flat on the ground instead of in a stand.


How would I go about getting this Zefal pump to work with a Schrader valve?

It's quite likely the head is dual type switchable.

Unscrew the retaining cap.
Remove the rubber thing. You might need some gentle encouragement with pliers.
Spin it 180. If the other hole is Schrader sized, You're in luck.
There will be a plastic widget under the rubber bit. This also needs to be flipped 180 to expose a pin.
Put the head back together. Widget, pin up > Rubber Thing, big hole up > Screw Cap.

Not something you want to do if you're working with varied valve types all the time, but as you say your family has one type.


Why would I need a torque wrench for a bicycle?

A torque wrench is needed mostly for lightweight bike parts, especially at the high end.

There are several related causes:

with lightweight parts the manufacturer has shaved off everything that is not absolutely essential. There is no spare strength to allow for overtightening.
things are made very precisely now. Rather than being able to take a 250kg gorilla, the lightweight bike can take a 120kg human. And rather than be maintained by a gorilla, you need an actual bike mechanic. This is partly to save weight, and partly to shave costs. Why use 1kg of titanium where 500g will do?
Most people do things up until they feel the resistance change. This slight yeild in steel is non-destructive and can be repeated thousands if not millions of times. In aluminium you need to be more sensitive because the yeild limit is sharper, but with composites and lightweight metals like titanium and magnesium the change is so fast it might as well not exist. The torque limits are likely to be tight and precise.
to save weight more threads are cut into expensive parts. Rather than having a semi-captive nut the body of the bike/fork/wheel is threaded. Stripping it means replacing something expensive.

What this means is that the traditional steel bolt in a steel bike will work well with (say) 15-50Nm of force used to tighten it. At 15Nm it's only just tight, at 50Nm it's probably digging into the frame and it's about to strip. But a (hollow!) titanium bolt in a carbon/epoxy stem will have a torque range of 5.5-6.4Nm, and the failure mode at the high end will be the stem failing- either it will strip the thread or the clamp will snap. And the bolt is built to match - why put in a bolt that will take 10Nm of tightening when the stem will fail at 7Nm?

There are other design changes to match these - four bolt handlebar clams on stems are now commonplace where there used to be one bolt and you just bent the clamp open then forced the (curved) handlebars through it. You can't bend an aluminium clamp like that, it will fail. And splined cranks require a lot more precision than tapered one, but that precision also allows them to be lighter as well as easier to service. The days of stripped extraction threads in cranks are (hopefully) over.


Which clothing brands are most suitable for very tall men?

Aero Tech Designs Cycle Wear

Tall Products

Short sleeved jerseys
Long sleeved Jerseys
Bike shorts
Bib Shorts
Tights

Sizes

Tall Cycling Jersey Size    Small   Medium  Large   XL      2XL     3XL     4XL

Fits Men's Chest inches     32-34   36-38   38-40   42-44   46-48   50-54   54-56

Garment Fabric Measures
around Chest                38      41      44      46      48      54      56

Fabric Measurement:
Back Length from top
of collar down the center
of the back to bottom       30.5    31.5    32.5    33.5    34.5    35.5    35.5

Sleeve Length from arm
pit seam to end of cuff     21      21.5    22      22.5    23      23.5    23.5


Knowing what bicycle frame material I have

To identify a frame firstly see if a magnet sticks, if it does it's steel, if not it's carbon, aluminium alloy or titanium alloy.

If not steel look down the seat tube if it's metallic inside it could be aliminium or titanium if black and plastic looking, carbon. Tap the frame with a screw driver, aluminium and titanium will have a definite metallic 'tink' and carbon a hollow 'thunk'.

To tell the difference between alloys put a small scratch in the seat tube (both have good anti-corrosion properties) if the exposed metal is dark and dull silver it's possibly titanium, if light silver it's aluminium. Titanium frames are expensive and rare so not likely to come across one you don't know the pedigree of.

For steel there is a significant difference between the two main types of steel, Chromoly and Hi-Ten steel. Chromoly is a stronger and lighter (high carbon) steel and is generally found on mid to high end bikes. If a bike is reasonably modern and chromoly it is likely to have smaller diameter tubes and possibly seat post (although this isn't a good indicator as new steel frames are being produced to fit dropper posts). A chromoly bike may have a sticker on the seat tube from the tube manufacturer be it Reynolds, Tange or Columbus. Tube shape may also vary on higher end frames (my chromoly HT has a triangle top tube and oval down tube). A Hi-Ten frame will mirror the fashion of when the bike was made.

Few Chromoly frames come as built up bikes so generally if you don't know your riding Chromoly, a magnet sticks to the bike and it's heavy you're riding a Hi-Ten steel bike. The scrap value of the frame is probably worth more than the frame.


What type of grease to prevent seat post sticking?

I use basic thick grease from an auto parts store. The can says multi-purpose waterproof grease. It's thick like a cream, or butter and dirt cheap. You only need a small amount.


Is a fatter tire likely to get fewer flats

The two most common types of flats are
1) pinch
2) puncture

Can also have the spoke puncture the tube from the inside but nothing a tire can do about that.

A fatter tire is more resistant to both pinch and puncture flats.

A larger tire will also have softer ride (due to lower pressure) and better traction due to more tire in contact with the road.  This durability and comfort come at a cost.  A larger tire is heavier, more wind resistance, and more rolling resistance.

Wheel sizes are reported in a number of ways.
The actual actual wheel size or actual wheel size plus nominal tire size.

For sake of fair comparison I will use actual wheel size.
For example ISO 622 is the same as both 700mm and 29".

Will compare ISO 622 wheel diameter and tire diameter of 1" versus 2".
Same rubber in each tires and same thickness.
A fatter tire will tend to be thicker but for the sake of head to heads comparison assume same thickness

The tire must support the weight of the rider and bike.
If I am 170 lbs and 60% of the weight is on the rear wheel then let's call it it 100 lb on the rear wheel.

The 2" diameter tire will run at a lower pressure.
Let's assume the 1" tire runs at 100 PSI and the 2" at 60 PSI.

A bigger tire runs at lower pressure because it has more contact area.
In this example the 1" tire will have a contact area of 1 square inch.
And the 2" tire will have a contact area of 1.67 square inches.

Pinch Flat

Pinch flat is when the tube is pinched against rim and splits open.
When you hit a blunt object such as a curb.

A larger diameter tire is more resistant pinch flat for two reasons
 1. With the larger diameter the outer tire (starts) further from the curb.
 2. Due to the bigger diameter the  fatter tire builds surface area faster so it does not need to deform as far to match the force of the curb.

Puncture Flat

A sharp object penetrates tire and tube.

Identical rubber will have the same force per surface area to penetrate.
The rubber does not know if it has 1" or 2" or buddies.

Assume a triangular piece of glass 10mm by  10mm by 10mm.

Along comes this this fat soft tire.  The tire deforms and the rubber makes contact with the road around the glass like the glass is not even there.   Because the tire deformed and made contact with the ground the glass never exceeded the minimum force to penetrate the tire.

Even if the fatter tires comes in contact with more glass is still distributes the load.
Would you rather stand on a bed of nails of lie on a bed of nails.

Then along comes a hard shinny skinny tire that cannot absorb the glass and at the point it is just tire on glass there is sufficient pressure for the glass to penetrate the tire.  The higher pressure tire did deform but not as much as much as the lower pressure tire.  In this example when the tire was directly on the glass no tire was in contract with ground to take the part of the load.

A smaller piece of glass in which both tires deform and touch ground around the glass the softer (lower pressure) tire is always going to have more tire on ground around the glass and take more weight off the glass.  The large tire is going to take enough weight off the glass to avoid penetration for a range of heights and sharpness.

This is not an artificial condition.  A glass bottle is about 4 mm thick. The small sharp shards of glass from the bottle are 4 mm.

Even a piece of glass that penetrates both tires the glass will penetrate the harder (higher pressure) tire further.  Because of deformation the glass will not be pushed in all the way.  Again the softer tire has more deformation.  So could have a case where the glass penetrates the tube on the hard tire but not the softer.

If you ride the same piece of glass long enough it will eventually works its way into both tires.  So inspect your tires for glass.  On a regular basis.  For sure every time you air them.

Tire Pressure

Tire pressure effects both pinch and puncture flats (and rolling resistance).

Increase pressure reduces pinch flats.

Increased pressure increases puncture flats because the tires does not deform as much (spread the load).

So there is a sweet spot.  Go with the manufacturer for that sweet spot.  Tire will have a pressure range.  If you weigh 180 of more then use the maximum.  If you wight 140 of less then use the minimum.  In between use liner interpolation.   If you weigh 160 you are 1/2 between and should use the pressure 1/2 way between.

Mountain bikers like to run at lower pressure for more contact (traction) and to absorb  roots and rocks.  If you are running at a lower pressure then be aware and don't bang on roots and rocks as hard.

Tubeless

Tubeless tires offer the advantage of no tube to pinch so no pinch flats.  Can run them at a lower pressure.  A tubeless tires with sealant is not less susceptible to a puncture flat but it will seal small punctures.


How often should I change my mountain SPD bikeshoe cleats?

I have similar problems as you describe, but mine come from dirt, mud, and other things that get caught in while doing MTB.

Aside from that, the Shimano SPD pedals develop some sort of a lip as they wear out, in the side "ramps" that rise the cleat when you twist the foot sideways. It happens in similar fashion as if you repeatedly hit the end of a metal rod with a hammer, until it deforms and starts to look like a nail head. This "lip" makes it very difficult to twist the foot, hence it is difficult to release the cleat from the pedal. The solution I have implemented is to file those lips out every now and then.

Close inspection to the pedal clamp mechanism is all it takes, scratch the ramps with your fingernail and if you feel a little stop near the end of it, then you file it and repeat the fingernail test until your nail can freely slide out of the ramp... Sometimes it is so little that even sandpaper can do the job. After that, clean the mechanism the best you can with a toothbrush and apply some lubricant. Apply lubricant also when you feel it's necessary. (I do it before every MTB ride, but almost every 10 rides for city commuting)

Regarding cleats, at least for me, I never change them, my shoes usually die first, then I try to put the same cleat on new shoes, and only if the bolt is too hard to remove (happened once) then I use new cleats...

My oldest pedals are 13 years old now, in the bike I use the most (the MTB for XC and light DH), have other 2 bikes with old SPD on them (commuting or urban riding), but only one pair of shoes for everything.


Changing from 5 to 6 cog freewheel on 1986 Stumpjumper-Sport

(axle width) Maybe, there is a pretty good chance your bike is already at 130mm O.L.D. spacing. Road bikes would be at 120 or 126mm from that era, but a mid 80's MTB has a reasonable chance of being at 130mm.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_n-o.html#old

2-3. All chains for geared bikes are 3/32 interior dimension, the difference between 7-11 speed is the outside width. You should buy a new chain if you buy a new freewheel, any quality 8spd chain is fine and should work on your current chainwheels.

For an MTB derailler 30 -> 34 should not be a problem. You will likely need to make adjustments to the B screw to make sure the cage clears the largest gear.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ba-n.html#btension


How do I stop my EBB (Eccentric Bottom Bracket) from creaking?

Your mileage may vary, but this has worked for me.  Try using some telfon tape around the outside of the EBB before you put it in.  It's cheap and you can get it at a local hardware store in the plumbing section.


I don't know the specific laws in CA for riding in a crosswalk, but here in AZ (both CA and AZ are in the USA) it is actually ambiguous. While on a bicycle, you become not a pedestrian, which in AZ means that you aren't afforded the legal protections of a pedestrian, which means that in cases like yours there is no legal recourse.

However, riding a bicycle on a sidewalk here in AZ is illegal, and for good reason.

Section 275 of the CA motor vehicle code states that the crosswalk is an extension of the sidewalk, so if riding on the sidewalk is legal where you live, then you had the right of way.

After looking around, it appears that CA has a hodge podge of local ordinances pertaining to the legality of riding on the sidewalk.

Culver city ordinance §7.04.250  RIDING ON SIDEWALKS. states

  A.   No person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk within any
  business district or upon the sidewalk adjacent to any public school
  building, church, recreation center or playground or upon a walkway
  specifically designated by resolution of the City Council as closed to
  all vehicular or bicycle traffic. B.   Whenever any person is riding a
  bicycle upon a sidewalk such person shall yield the right-of-way to
  any pedestrian and when overtaking and passing a pedestrian, after
  giving an audible signal, shall at all times pass to the left of such
  pedestrian.

while the ordinance for LA county, §15.76.080 Driving or riding vehicles on sidewalk. states

  A person shall not operate any bicycle or any vehicle or ride any
  animal on any sidewalk or parkway except at a permanent or temporary
  driveway or at specific locations thereon where the commissioner finds
  that such locations are suitable for, and has placed appropriate signs
  and/or markings permitting such operation or riding.

and for the City of Los Angeles SEC. 56.15.  BICYCLE RIDING – SIDEWALKS. states

  No person shall ride, operate or use a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard, cart, wagon, wheelchair, rollerskates, or any other device
  moved exclusively by human power, on a sidewalk, bikeway or boardwalk
  in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or
  property.  (Amended by Ord. No. 166,189, Eff. 10/7/90.)

  No person shall ride, operate or use a bicycle or unicycle on Ocean Front Walk between Marine Street and Via Marina within the City
  of Los Angeles, except that bicycle or unicycle riding shall be
  permitted along the bicycle path adjacent to Ocean Front Walk between
  Marine Street and Washington Boulevard. (Amended by Ord. No. 153,474,
  Eff. 4/12/80.)
  No person shall operate on a beach bicycle path, or on an area of a beach which is set aside for bicycle or unicycle use, any bicycle
  or tricycle which provides for side-by-side seating thereon or which
  has affixed thereto any attachment or appendage which protrudes from
  the side of the bicycle or tricycle and is used or designed to carry
  another person or persons thereon.
  For the purposes of this section motorized bicycles as defined by Section 406 of the California Vehicle Code shall be included within
  the terms “motor vehicle” as defined in Section 415 of the Vehicle
  Code and as used in Section 21663 of the Vehicle Code.

So it appears that it depends...


For fixed, single speed and hub gears belt drives are great, if slightly more expensive initially.  They don't work with derailleurs.

The key difference is that as chains wear they also wear the sprockets and chainrings and therefore all need replacing if you leave it too long or don't lubricate often enough.

Belt drives are used in many applications which are harsher and less maintainable than bike drivetrains - 70k Miles @ 3000 RPM for a car cambelt should give you confidence to fit and forget a belt on a bike. Also used on big motorbikes (Harley, Yamaha, Buell) as a chain replacement.

Shaft drive is too inefficient and heavy for practical use on a bike.

I have both chain and belt drives on different bikes - they do different things but are both fit for their respective purposes. The chain needs lubricating frequently and replacing from time to time. And the belt-drive simply doesn't.


pedal crank moves and tries to slip off the axle

My guess is that by the time the first bottom bracket (crank axle) was replaced the left side pedal arm was also damaged. When you installed the damaged crank arm to the new axle it worked for awhile. You are now at the point that you have a worn arm and a worn crank axle. Replacement of just one of the components will result the premature failure of the other. You need a new bottom bracket and crankset. As this is an expensive repair it may be worth looking for a used assembly that is in good shape. The crank arm bolt should be tightened to about 30-35 ftlbs of torque. This takes quite a bit of effort with the average 6 inch long allen wrench.


Clanking sound from the bottom bracket when I pedal

My first suspicion is the chain hitting the front derailleur cage. The clicking is fairly loud and occurs continuously whenever you pedal. If the bottom bracket bearings were damaged you would feel it through the cranks rather than hearing it and there would be clicks once per crank rotation.
It's also possible that you have chainsuck going on. A worn chainring can hold on to chain links past the point where they should disengage, then they pop off the chainring teeth with a click.
Put the bike in a workstand (or have a friend hold the back wheel of the ground), pedal manually and inspect the crank area to see where the noise is coming from. Try different gear combination to see if that makes a difference.
You can also check the bottom bracket bearings - turn the crank by hand and feel for clicks or 'notchiness'. Push and pull the cranks to check for any play in the bearings.


I’m not aware of any significant innovations in the last 4000 years. The spoked wheel was invented 2200–1550 BCE.

Sure, we have carbon rims and spokes now, straightpull spokes, disc wheels, tri-spoke wheels, tubeless tires, disc brakes …

But all of those have really been mostly incremental improvements. So judging from the past it’s unlikely much will change in the future.


Is there some alternate bracket that can be purchased that would allow it to be mounted via the existing holes in the frame where the water bottle bracket would go?

First, Kryptonite makes more than one U-Lock (at least 6 models) and more than one mounting. So, my first impulse would be to check the Kryptonite site or inquire at a local bike shop that carries the Kryptonite product line.

Second, Does the lock really need to mount on the frame? If the bike has a rear rack, the lock could get bungeed there. Or perhaps in a pannier? Or backpack/messenger bag? Jersey pocket? And, just sayin, the hipsters around here keep U-locks in their back pockets and that's for fun. ;~)

Not to be rude, but U-locks can be mounted or carried in a few places. Personally, I don't carry the U-lock on the water bottle mounts...mainly since I actually do want water bottles to be on the frame mounts. But hey, it's up to you.


Upgrading SRAM PG850 8 Speed Cassette on Defy 4, must Be Compatible with Claris Shifters

Almost any 8 speed cassette will be compatible with your bike.* As far as the chain goes, that more or less depends on the cassette.

As long as you stick to 8-speed, there are basically only two things you need to worry about.

Your cassette should fit within the range of your rear derailleur. Every derailleur has a minimum and maximum cog size that it can accommodate. Just check the specs for your derailleur and stay within that range.
Your chain needs to be the right length for the largest ring on your new cassette. If you get a cassette that has a cog that's bigger than 32 teeth, you will almost certainly need a longer chain. If your big cog is smaller than 32 teeth, you may need a shorter chain. The venerable Sheldon Brown has a great guide on how to choose the correct length for your set up. If you're unsure, just buy a chain that has as many links as possible (at least as many as your current chain) and remove links as needed.

In short, any Shimano or Sram 8-speed 11-32 cassette and chain will work without any issues. If you're changing the range, just check your rear derailleur compatibility before you buy.

*The one major exception to this rule is Campagnolo. As a general rule, their stuff isn't compatible with anything else. That's not entirely true, and I'm not sure about 8 speed cassettes in particular, but I find it's easier to just steer clear unless you're willing to switch everything over to Campagnolo.


From the disassembled photo, it looks like if you put the parts back together the pump will work for Dunlop valves and Presta/Sclaverand valves (roughly any narrow type valve). You should be able to put the rubber and the red thing the other way around in. Such that the narrow pointy thing of the red part points outwards and the rubber has a wider opening to the outside. That way it should fit car valves.

For the usage, it should work like any other pump with a lever.

(for Presta/Sclaverand valves, screw out the round thing on the top of the valve, to unlock the valve)
With the lever like in the first picture push the pump on the valve.
Then fold out the lever like on the middle picture. This compresses the rubber such that it squeezes around the valve and makes the connection pump-valve air tight. (With Dunlop, this step sometimes failed for me with Dunlop valves as their top part is a bit on the short side, so compressing the rubber pushes the valve out of the pump. If that happens, try again and push pump and valve together when flipping the lever. Once the lever is flipped, the rubber should keep the valve in place)
Pump air
fold the lever in again
pull the pump off the valve
(screw in the "lock" of the Presta/Sclaverand valve if applicable)


Cup and cone bearings: better a little tight or a little loose?

As loose as possible without play. Bearings are supposed to have some amount of preload, which is a fancy name for being a bit tight as opposed to being loose. There should never be play once adjusted and on the bike.
For QR hubs, a good target amount of play off the bike is such that the play can be felt on the bike with the QR 50% closed but not 100%. Some people use tools either commercially available (the Stein axle vise) or improvised to adjust the hub while under QR compression. That is technically better but slower.
Without preload, the distribution of load is uneven across the bearing race surfaces, and they become worn prematurely.
Some people talk themselves into the idea that a bias towards loose is okay in some circumstances, but it is not. One of these scenarios is when prior damage (pitting, brinelling) or a bent axle is creating a situation where you have a rough spot unless you make the whole thing loose. The correct answer is still as loose as possible without play. Neither is perfect in this situation, but if you give it play, the overall condition will get worse faster.


How to figure out the BCD my chainring has

The bolt center diameter is just the circle around the crank axle axis that the center point of the chainring bolts lie on.

If you have a even number of bolts the diameter is fairly easy to measure. Pick two bolts where a line between them goes through the axle axis. You can make some sort makeshift calipers if the crank arm gets in the way.

If you have an odd number of bolts you can measure between the axle and a bolt and double it, or if the bolts are evenly spaced measure between bolts and look up the BCD on this page.

When ordering a chainring make sure you get one which has the same bolt spacing pattern, although from this page I'd say you have evenly spaced bolts.

A narrow-wide chainring may help retain the chain, but they work best with a clutch derailleur. The reason you are having  trouble in higher gears (smaller sprockets) is that the chain is under less tension.

If you do order a narrow-wide ring, make sure it is compatible with the number of speeds of your drivetrain.


I need some help identifying a bike I just acquired

The frame is Yeti A.R.C. 1992. Source. You can tell by distinct rear triangle tubing/dropout and top tube cable routing.


Rear wheel rubs frame/cage while pedaling standing up

Any bike is going to flex when you pedal
The harder you pedal the more it will flex

So first the question is if it is flexing too much
Inspect both the wheel and frame for any damage or weakness

If the wheel is not centered then it will rub on one side first
Make sure it is centered

If it is centered and no excessive flex then the tire is too large
If you cannot get the tip of your pinky finger between the tire and frame then you most likely don't have enough clearance
2.1 is extra-ordinary if the bike want not built for it - that is cross
I have a pure mountain bike that tops out at 2.1


how do i clean rust flecks off an alloy wheel

If it's truly an alloy rim, it isn't rust. Use a metal polish, like you find at the auto parts store for polishing alloy wheels.

It will clean of and smooth out any surface issues without removing to much material.

It takes elbow grease, or you can use a Dremel with a jewelry polishing wheel on it to do it faster.


Front wheel lifting on climbs on my Mountain Bike

I had the same problem on a regular non-suspension bike on the road, if the slope is steep enough.  The main cause is technique, and its exacerbated by your suspensions.

As you push down on the leading pedal the bike wants to rotate the other way, like you're lifting the handlebars and pulling a wheelie.  Your suspension is probably acting as an amplifier for this.

This leads to decreased traction on the front wheel, so turning becomes interesting.

Main Solution is to pedal more steadily in a circle, rather than stomping down on the foremost pedal.
To a lesser extent, you can also:

Lock out the front suspension, or dial it down a bit in bounciness.
Move your body weight forward on the saddle, or get off the saddle completely.
Remove weighty things from the rear of the bike - I found moving my full water bottle to the forward bottle cage had a noticeable impact.  Consider moving toolkits etc.


Bike trainer 11 speed cassette compatibility with Ultegra 6500 9 speed groupset

Can I do minimum upgrade to get my bike to fit 11 speed cassette?

Nope. You'd need derailleurs, crank set, shifters, cassette and chain at least. Given that groupsets bought as separate components cost a lot more than they do as part of a complete bike, I almost always recommend buying a whole new bike to make this upgrade.

  Can I downgrade my trainer cassette to 9 speed to match my bike?

Yes! All you need is a 9 speed cassette and a 1.8mm cassette spacer.

11 speed road hub freehub bodies are 36.75mm wide, 8/9/10 speed are 34.95mm, hence the need for the spacer (on the inside of the cassette).

All Shimano and SRAM 8/9/10 and 11 speed cassettes use the same 'Hyperglide II' freehub body spline pattern, so the new cassette will go right on.

You will need a chainwhip tool, cassette lockring tool and a big wrench to change the cassette yourself. The tools may cost more than the cassette itself, but a good bike repair shop will do it for you quickly and for a nominally small fee or for free if you have a good relationship with them and buy some small items at the same time. (Disclaimer, that's my experience in the USA, YMMV elsewhere in the world.)

You may find you have to adjust the rear derailleur indexing a little between the trainer and rear wheel as the hubs on each may not laterally position the cassette  exactly the same relative to the bike frame.

Another consideration: if your chain is getting worn (a $10 chain wear gauge is a great investment) it would be a good idea to replace the chain along with the new cassette. A worn chain accelerates wear on cassette sprockets.


By the look of things, you may have the cable a very little bit too tight.

In other words, after you have gear down, the cable is still pulling just enough to want to go further (in the direction of the spokes), which causes the chain to ride up on the gear teeth.

Adjusting the cable adjuster (sometimes it's located right where the cable meats the derailleur) a 1/4 turn to loosen (make longer) the cable, should be enough to drop it back over the teeth.

This off coarse is assuming that by your description the cassette and chain are not worn or have not be independently replaced.


Yes, there is hope for skinny people like us.
Please keep in mind that sitting on a saddle for miles/hours on end is never going to be totally comfortable. I'm sure I will get flamed for this but I'll go ahead and state it- there is no such thing as a comfortable saddle. Saddle choice is a matter of mitigating discomfort, not enhancing comfort.
The two most personal choices people make beyond the bike they ride are shoes and saddles. These two items run neck and neck in terms of personal  the preference is. What works for one person may be an instrument of torture for the next and vice versa. Helmets are a not-so-distant third.
What you need to do is try different saddles. Keep trying different saddles until you find one that you deem bearable. Give them time. Someone once told me that "you don't break the saddle in, the saddle breaks you in," and that holds true for pretty much everything with the exception of a certain brand of English fame known for their leather saddles. Unless the saddle is excruciating to sit on for the first short ride, give it a couple weeks of regular riding or a month or so of sporadic riding before you conclude that it's not right for you.
This process can be expensive.
Road saddles are much more difficult than mountain bike saddles because you spend more time on them and move around on them less frequently. I've been riding regularly for many years now. I still haven't found a road saddle that I'm happy with. I have the same mountain bike saddle on every other bike I own except my road bike.

The longer your ride and the harder your ride, the more uncomfortable you will become regardless of your saddle choice.
More padding does not equal more comfort. Do not forget that. That goes not only for saddles but for shorts as well- and everything else involved in a contact point with your body for that matter. Just because something costs more does not mean that it will be more comfortable- same rules apply here as well.
Don't underestimate the value of a good pair of shorts. You probably shouldn't pay less than $60 for a pair and you should do your homework on what makes/models rate well and which dont. There is some personal preference involved with shorts but it's not to the same degree as with saddles. Typically if they rate high you will be happy with them. If they don't you might be better off sticking cardboard down your shorts (I've owned a pair of shorts like this that weren't that cheap). Bad shorts can make a good saddle feel more uncomfortable to a degree, but the best pair of shorts cannot make a saddle that does not fit you comfortable.
To close, I will reiterate that saddles are not very comfortable to begin with. What you're trying to do is find one that limits how uncomfortable you become as your ride progresses. Try enough different ones and eventually you will find one that works. Best of luck.


Disc brakes on leader doberman which has no tabs and adaptors

Why do you want to install rear discs? Keep in mind a decent set of disc brakes costs as much as this entire bike. The cost of making any improvements to this model bike is almost certainly not worth it.

Best advise I can give is just do not go there. It results in an expensive, unreliable and often dangerous solution to a problem that does not exist in a majority of cases. If you want a better bike, sell it and buy a better bike.

Even if you can put an adapter on to the frame, it affects wheel removal and makes all maintenance task twice as hard. You need a new hub - which practically means a new rear wheel. You won't be able to buy a rear wheel for less than the bike is worth second hand.

90% (100% if you read Sheldon Brown) of your braking comes from your front brake. A good V Brake will brake as effectively as a low end disc brake in 90% of conditions, and on the rear wheel, won't make a significant difference in the other 10% of conditions.