It sounds as though your cable needs to be adjusted.

On the rear dérailleur there will be a barrel adjuster where the cable enters the mech. You can increase the cable tension by rotating the barrel adjuster anti-clockwise and loosen it by (you guessed it!) rotating it clockwise.

By getting the cable tension right you should be able to get more accurate shifting.

Park Tools have a great guide to this on their website. You want section 6 on that page, which deals with indexing (the process of achieving accurate shifting).


Can anyone help me identify this bicycle frame?

I managed to find a couple of similar frames on web search that suggest the 1987 Vintage Cannodale identification could be correct. The really unique way the top-tube intersects the downtube before the head tube makes me think this is a very small frame. I would suggest it's a 1987 SR600 in 48cm


Health

Two decades ago I threw away my bike.  Admittedly it was worn, but I had that "I have a car, why do I need a bike?" thought.

After a long time in a sedentary desk job, I got back on a bike and started the return to a healthy weight and muscle tone.

Best to keep the habit of healthy exercise by doing plenty of it. 3.6 miles (5 km) is 15 minutes at a casual pace, or 10 minutes if you're making an effort.

Nowadays my car does 150 miles (225 km) in one year, while I did twentyfold that on a bike.


Your bike has an FSA Omega crank that does in fact have a 19mm spindle. All press fit BB types either use a 24 or 30mm spindle, so you must have a special BB unit. I'm guessing that it's an FSA 19mm to BB86.

You should confirm that you have a BB86 frame, you can do that by measuring the width of the BB shell, it should be about 86mm.


It sounds like you have a bottle dynamo. Many are constructed poorly and have matching short lifespans.

Typical failure modes are:

Friction wheel is made of cheap plastic, rubber, or pot metal -- and wears down, breaks, or flies off
The wiring was done by drunken lemurs and breaks off inside
No sealing against water/dust/salt and it corrodes to pieces
The hinge mechanism is poorly constructed and breaks

In your case, it does sound like maybe the spring that forces the dynamo onto onto the tire sidewall isn't apply enough pressure. I'd put some oil on the spring and hinges and work the hinge back and forth a few times. The dynamo may have also rotated (fallen) off its mounting bracket slightly, you may need to rotate it back into position and tighten its screw more tightly.

The good news is that bottle dynamos are cheap enough to be easily replaceable when they do break.


How to tighten a Fox Thru Axle, Cam Lever/QR Skewer?

If you have a Fox QR15 thru axle (sounds like it), the only thing that's supposed to be adjustable is the rotational position of the axle nut in its splines, which if needed is done by loosening the 2.5mm bolt that keeps the axle nut keeper in place and sliding the keeper out of the way. To fasten down the axle, you thread it in much like threading a normal QR skewer in the QR nut, stopping when the lever begins to require force when it's about halfway through its travel, or parallel with the axle. You adjust the axle nut's position to make sure the lever ends up positioned how you want it when fastened and all the way down, i.e. tucked neatly in front of the fork leg.


Is it possible to get a light that is too bright?

Blinding road users will be the result of the following factors:

Total light output
Mirror design (how is the light shaped)
How you aimed your light

Most trail lights (and high output battery powered lights) use a mirror that casts the light in a symmetrical shape.  This means light is cast up, down, left and right.  Light cast above the horizon is what binds other road users.  Light above the horizon is however great for trail riding as it lets you see overhanging branches and other impediments.

Car running lights (i.e. not high beams) are designed with a horizontal cut-off, where light does not shine above the horizon (actually a low percentage does, this called spill light). If the car light is aimed correctly, the the horizontal cut-off falls below oncoming road users line of vision.  This is why you are typically not horribly blinded by oncoming cars, if they are a) using their running lights and b) have their lights aimed correctly.  High beams do not have a horizontal cut-off, which is the primary reason you get blinded so badly.

Some bike lights (those that are approved for German roads) will have a mirror that has this sharp horizontal cut-off.  They usually will usually be indicated by the some statement on StVZO compliance. Most dynamo lights (e.g., B & M, Schmidt, etc) will have this mirror design. There are also a few battery powered lights (e.g., some B & M models), but they are few and far between.

If you have a light with a symmetrical beam, you can lessen the blinding effect by pointing the light down (as suggested in @Batman's answer), however due to the symmetrical nature of the beam you will still blind road users more than if you had a light with a horizontal cutoff and was aimed correctly as there will still be more spill light above the horizon. This effect is also confounded by how narrowly or wide the symmetrical beam is focused.  Wide flood lights will almost always blind, despite how much you aim them down, spot lights will blind less when pointed down.

Finally, total output does have some impact too, but it is also confounded with mirror design (e.g., high output with a horizontal cut-off may blind less than a low output symmetrical beam).  What really determines whether or not you blind other users is the total amount of light shining above the horizon at their eyes.

In your case your 750 lumen lights are likely trail lights with a wide symmetrical beam.  If you run them at full output you will likely blind others unless you severely aim it downwards.


I'd like to upgrade my SRAM cassette, but confused by options

The length of the cage on the bottom of your derailleur that holds the two small cogs is what decides the size of cassette you can use on your bike.

There are 2 numbers that matter, the max size and tooth capacity.

Max size is is the largest cog the derailleur is designed to clear and the capacity is the largest difference between the small-small and big-big gear ratios that it can take up the slack in.

--

Since your bike came stock with a 11-26, I'm going to guess it has a short cage derailleur, the largest cog this can accept is 28.

SRAM road derailleurs come in short and medium cage, and have a max cog size of 28 & 32 and a max capacity of 33 & 37 respectively.

You may also need to change your chain, not a bad idea anyway with a new cassette.


Need new chainwheels for a cheap racing bike - which price range makes sense?

You probably foremost need a neww chain and you will also need a new cassette.

What you are linking are chainsets. You can normally just buy new chainrings for your existing crankset. As others mention in the comments, check first, whether the aluminium thing we see in the photograph in the top-right corner is a bolt that can be released with a hex key or a rivet. If it is a rivet, you will need a whole new crankset. See the bottom of the answer for a new crankset.

First for the cassettes

You can buy any 8 speed cassette that fits your rear derailleur in terms of size of the cogs - sprockets. The current one is 12 - 25. You likely have the RD-32 derailleur with max cog 28T and total capacity 39T. That means you cane safely go to even to 11-28T cassette.

In general, 8 speed cassettes are pretty cheap but those with older sprocket sizes (like yours) tend to cost more. I do not know why, but I do see it n the shops. But you can look around for the best deal, they are intercompatible.

With a triple crankset you can keep your small range cassette 12-25 but you can think about a wider 11-28. You get a bigger range, but also bigger differences between gears and more overlap between chainrings. But as I wrote, for some reason they appear to be cheaper and easier to find. Like here https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/Claris-CS-HG50-8-8-speed-Cassette-p35939/

But shop around, look for HG-40, HG-50, HG-200 or Suntour 8-speed cassettes and see if they also have a cheap 12-25 somewhere. I did see it on Czech eshops but they were more expensive.

Do not forget that firstly you need a new chain and measure the chain stretch regularly next time so you do not neet the buy the cassette next time. A new chain is much cheaper. A chain measurement tool (chain gauge) is worth the investment. Even in terms of money saved.

From the update it is clear you also need new chainrings:

Buy new chainrings, unless there is something really bad with your cranks that you did not show. But I regard this as unlikely. If the chainrings can be released by the hex key.

You probably have this crankset http://www.pro-wheel.com/main/?product=ounce-631-tt or a very similar older model. The linked one is 9-speed but you may have an 8-speed version that is no-longer advertised. In that case it is 130 mm BCD and 74 mm BCD. It is best to measure it yourself. Or, you would at least give us a better picture of the crankset. Best with some scale, like a tape measure. In the Decathlon link the BCD size is actually written on the

You can also buy from other brands, not just ProWheel. You also can change the sizes. You have 50, 39 and 30T but that can be changed, if you keep the difference. If you are not experienced judging what is fine, I would keep 50, 39 and 30, though.

For example, something like this https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainrings/compact-chainring-steel-110mm-bcd-5-arm-silver-50t/  Just to give you a picture how it should look like. You have to shop around in your country.

If you want to buy a new crankset or even a combo with a chain and a cassette, remember that you need a triple one. Currently you have 50-39-30. You will often see 48-38-28. That should work too. It may require readjusting your front derailleur.

With a new crankset you will probably need a new bottom bracket. They are sold with different length. You will have to find out the correct length for your new crankset. And, if you ugrade to something with a different bottom bracket type (like Octalink or even Hollowtech II) you need the correct type. The cheapest cranksets use all square taper bottom brackets but with different lengths.


I have a customized Salsa Journeyman Claris. How small can I go for my small chainring? I'm not sure how to verify compatibility

The crank chainring bolt center diameter (diameter of a circle that passes through the center of the chainring bolts) is what limits the maximum and minimum chainring sizes.
It's likely that you will not be able to get a much smaller chainring on the FSA crank. To get to 24 tooth small rings you need an mountain bike crank. 'Two-piece' MTB cranks made for external bearings in threaded frames or press-fit bearings are not compatible with road frames as they require a wider bottom bracket shell. The FSA Tempo crank is three-piece for a tapered axle cassette type BB though, so you made have luck finding a three-piece MTB double crank with the chainring sizes you want. Bear in mind you will probably have to change the BB as different crank models require different BB axles lengths.
Check that your front derailleur can accommodate the difference between chainrings on the crank you select, and can be dropped far enough down the seatpost.


Titanium frame has a crack - advice needed

If you look at titanium frame bikes on the web you can see their warranties. Most have very long or life time warranties that cover everything but crashes and deliberate damage to the frame. So I would assume this frame was involved in a crash.

There are three types or cracks in titanium frames (from best to worst):

Weld crack
seam crack (titanium comes in sheets that are bent into tubes and seam welded.)
Stress crack

You can weld titanium (but you need an inert gas shield to prevent O2 & N2 absorption while the material cools). Seam and weld cracks are relatively easy to fix. (But still pricey.) A stress crack may not be repairable at all, and I'm not sure I would trust it in any case on the BB.

So without anymore information, I would say you have a crashed frame with frame failure. It is in the worst possible place. A repair will be expensive and may not even be possible. The repair was also not covered under the frames original warranty.

After looking at the crack again, there is another possibility. When you weld titanium you have to shield the metal with an inert gas as it cools. Otherwise it can absorb O2 or N2 from the air. If the titanium absorbs either gas it becomes brittle and will crack over time. This crack is right near the BB at the seat of two major welds. The tube would have been very hot there and if it was not properly shielded by argon during welding and cooling, it could have absorbed air during that period. That effectively wrecks the titanium. This type of problem can not be fixed. (It should have been covered under warranty though.)

Sounds like a good frame to avoid no matter how cheap the price.


What is the longest reasonable distance one may expect to ride on a comfort bike?

I would argue that there is no limitation on distance the biggest limitation you will have will be on: Speed and Comfort over time.
Speed
Comfort bikes arn't made to go fast.  They are designed to be ridden around in a leisurely way.  Variables limiting speed include:

Aerodynamics - you are sitting as upright as possible
% of your speed/strength you can use while pedaling - Mountain bikes are designed so that the rider has good control and can soak up bumps.  Road bikes are designed to be maximally aerodynamic and to allow the rider to use their leg muscles effectively.  Comfort bikes are designed so that you will be comfortable sitting on the seat.  I have always found that when riding a comfort bike I cannot use my muscles nearly as effectively.  On a road or mountain bike it is much easier to use your upper body to provide leverage to your legs out of the saddle.
Weight - shouldn't have an effect on a constant speed but when speeding up you will notice the weight of your bike.  You will also notice the extra weight when climbing.  In all other situation weight shouldn't make any difference.

Comfort over time
Road bikes and to a lesser extent mountain bikes are made to be comfortable for long period of time for more dedicated riders.  Just looking at the seat as a case study we find: wide seats are comfortable immediately but after sitting on it for an extended period of time:

You will experience chaffing
You will possibly need to rock your hips to reach around the seat to push the pedals
You cannot use your entire body properly which may lead to injured muscles
You cannot soak up bumps at all which may lead to a sore/stiff back

Conclusion

If you goal is to cover distance get a new bike.  You will go double your distance.
If your goal is to get a good workout and you are not experiencing discomfort keep your current bike and go further.


which power meters will work with a sram cx1 group set and a bb90 bottom bracket?

BB90 accepts the same axle as a standard outboard BB - 24mm crank axle.

I think there are two options..

Stages make a power meter that they list as compatible with Force and Rival groupsets. For a BB90, I think it would be the GXP option you're looking for. I would compare the axle/crank spline before buying it though as I'm unsure what the CX1 spline looks like.
Depending on your brake/wheel axle you could also use a Powertap hub. They make various disc and non-disc hubs in a range of axle standards and widths, so you may find something there. You would of course have to assemble it into a wheel, so that would bump the price of this option up a bit and might not be suitable if you're trying to keep the bike below a certain weight?

You say 'keep using a power meter', do you already have one? If so, which one?

Hope this helps!


When riding with a single pannier, does it matter which side it's on?

I wasn't aware of a rule for this, but I would hang a single pannier on left because it's the non-drive side of the bike. I doubt it matters though.

When I was buying a new rear wheel a few months back, I found the spoke patterns in some rear wheels are different on one side to the other, so I don't know if this would make a difference.

(I'd have added this as a comment, but it informs me I'd need 50 rep for that, hence the "answer".)


Can i use a 10 speed hubbed wheel on my 7 speed/cassette bike?

Getting a 7-speed (or indeed any) Campy cassette wouldn't do you much good anyway since the rest of your drivetrain will be Shimano. As you've discovered the two don't mix. (Or rather, they are not supposed to mix and you can expect problems if you do try to mix them. Never say never, I guess!)

I reckon your cheapest option could be to visit your LBS and to see if it is possible to take the wheel you bought, and to swap the Campy freehub to a Shimano freehub. I have no idea how easy this would be or how much it would cost. Worst case the LBS may want to rebuild the wheel, although there could be an easier way, I don't know.

Next option, as you've identified, is to get a new wheel with a Shimano freehub - any chance you could exchange the wheel you just bought? Normally there's no cost difference between the two freehubs. But as long as you have a Shimano freehub you should just be able to slip your existing cassette back on (provided you have the right tool).

In terms of expense, I wouldn't recommend trying to fit the drivetrain to the wheel you just bought, that will mean several part replacements and costs will mount. You also need to be careful if you start thinking along the lines of upgrading your 7-speed cassette, certainly when you get to 10-speed, things like chains and derailleurs come into play, so you may need to replace more than you bargained for.


How do i know which wheels will fit my bike?

Unless the Oz version is different from the US version (which it doesn't seem to be; the picture is the same), it looks like this bike uses a by default regular old 135x5 mm quick release, so the wheel needs a quick release compatible hub (not a thru axle hub).

Have you tried servicing the existing wheel? QR skewers and new axles are way cheaper than a new wheel (but of course, thru axles are stronger, so the upgrade may be worth it anyway).

Edit: It looks like Giant has a conversion kit you can buy to go to 142 x 12 thru axles wheels.

A picture of the kit is here:

Looks like the two pieces on the left screw into both places where the skewer passes through, then the hanger is replaced as well. You can see this video on how to install it.

It also looks like you need a particular thru axle specifically from Giant due to threading; it looks like its a re-badged DT Swiss thru axle, so maybe they have something compatible.


Can you tell me what the name of this bike is?

It has to be a Huffy Rail. The decal on the chain guard is exactly the same.  All the geometry, too.


If you mean that the wheel moves relative to the trainer roller when you are pedaling, that is expected. The trailer and bike frame will flex a little as you apply force to each pedal, which are of course offset to each side of the bike frame.


The first thing to check is that the rubber gasket in the brake lever reservoir is fully intact and in place. They can get both torn and clamped out of position, and that would be consistent with having just been opened up for bleeding. Make sure the reservoir is turned horizontal when open so fluid can't spill out.

If it's leaking anywhere else, there's not much that can be done other than replace the lever.


Should I leave bolts in frame when I've removed component (mudguards for example)

I usually plug the hole with appropriate size hardware. I add a dab of anti-seize   compound. My reasoning (other than appearance) is that while the frame is aluminum or carbon the threaded insert is typically steel and there fore subject to rust.


You are already riding considerately by the sounds of it which is great.. I can only advise though on what I used to do. The Highway Code is somewhat vague regarding exact rule for cyclists.. However you ARE entitled to be on the road and drivers ARE obliged to give you plenty of room when overtaking you.

As a racing cyclist (a few years ago now) I would always ride about 2 feet away from the curb, especially on roads that were wide enough for it not to be a problem. This would allow me to clear the drain covers and any recesses they were in, whilst also avoiding the stones & debris which is often laying at the roadside.. I don't think in all my years of road training that I ever had a real problem with drivers.. Well apart from the selfish few that believed that I should just not exist on their road.. But you'll always get those ☺

Personally I wouldn't advise riding towards the middle of lanes as I know of folk who've been hit directly from behind doing this, as they've just not been seen at all.. as hard as that is to believe.

IMO I'd rather be passed closely than hit directly from behind. This has even happened to my brother as he was stopped at traffic lights on a large motorbike.

On your dual carriageway if there is no cycle track/lane just be careful and aware.. Ride about 2 feet from the curb, wear bright clothing and use a red strobing rear LED light, even in the daytime! Also as the roads are so busy and damaged these days a small camera may be worth considering. Not only would it be helpful in the event of an accident, but it will also assist with any claims to the council for damage to your wheels & tyres etc travelling on todays broken roads..

I have been refunded on a couple of occasions after providing pictures to the council of damage to my wheels and tyres due to hitting large water filled pot holes in the wet.

Take care and ride safe


Are rear triangles made today made of thinner / less substantial materials than in the past?

There is some validity to the observation.
In aluminum, hydroforming on mainstream bikes only started in the early to mid aughts and got more prevalent and sophisticated from there, eventually to the point where even fairly low end bikes often have heavily manipulated tube shapes that would have been much more expensive to produce, if feasible at all, in the past. Hydroforming is often used now to create thin profiles on chain and seat stays that in the past on a comparable price point bike would have been a chunkier, continuous diameter tube.
In carbon, many companies have veered towards dainty, compliant rear end sections. There was less of this in the earlier days of carbon.
In steel however, there's been some of the opposite effect. Steel stays on many contemporary bikes are much larger diameter than comparable older bikes. In some cases this is because fancier modern alloys beget larger tubes with thinner walls. More commonly though, it's a mix of consumers being visually accustomed to bigger tubes and also the structural requirements of disc brakes.


Help with identifying the brand of a vintage bike

I might have found its provenance from the net.
Pinterest lugs

Amstrong.

Your points of views?
Thanks


Make sure the release tension is low at first (should be a little screw on face of pedal).  Generally you will get to a point of looseness where you are popping out unintentionally, go just tigher than that.
Cleat placement also can be a factor.  The closer to the toe it is, the easier it tends to be to get out.  Be careful about moving too far from the balls of your feet, it could end up with achy toes!
Lastly, see if the sole of your shoe is interferring with the pedal.  If it is dragging, you can get little spacers that go between sole and cleat.
Don't worry about damaging the cleat, you will do more walking around on concrete.  Also, you will probably fall at least once while getting used to them.  It is almost a rite of passage.


Quick - Maybe Question on changing gears

On most bikes you typically just need to avoid the two most extreme cross-chaining scenarios: (A) the largest front chainring and the largest rear cog and (B) the smallest front chainring and the smallest rear cog.


How to tell how many speeds a wheel is designed for

For Shimano and SRAM, at least:

8, 9 and 10 speed cassettes are designed to use the same freehub body. As higher speeds became available the sprockets were made closer together rather than the cassette getting wider. The freehub spline width is 34.95mm.

For road groupsets, the freehub body had to be made wider by 1.8mm (36.75mm) to accommodate 11 speed cassettes.

For mountain groupsets, the 11 speed cassette fits on the narrower 10 speed freehub. This is possible because the larger low gear sprockets on a spider can overhang the inboard end of the freehub body.

Old or cheap 7 or less speed systems use an narrower freehub body.


According to wikipedia, hydroforming is a cost-effective way of shaping ductile metals such as aluminum, brass, low alloy steels, stainless steel into lightweight, structurally stiff and strong pieces.

In reality, most aluminium frames are made this way. They start with a simple round tube and form it in more suitable shapes. You wil have to look hard to find non-hydroformed frames.


shimano M545 left pedal cap unit bolt fallen off during use

Wiggle will do you a refund as well as a replace. There should be no problem with that as M545's are known to fall apart in the way you describe.

Sounds like you are looking for a pedal that works well with cleat and without cleat. I do not think the M545 does either job properly, and, as evidenced, can fall apart. They also do not work with some leading brands of 'SPD' footwear.

I would send them back and upgrade to the plain Time ATAC pedals, also available from Wiggle. These may not work too well with leather soled shoes in the wet, but you can get home from the pub with them and regular trainers without your feet slipping off.

I have updated the clipless pedal page with my own IMHO on Time Atac pedals:

What should I look for in clipless pedals and shoes?


Those don't look that great. Students would need a long cable lock in order to lock their bikes. There's no way that they could do it with a U-lock. And the weight of the bike is resting on the spokes, which is not good for them. Also, I'm not sure what level of school you're talking about, but I imagine an elementary school child might have a hard time lifting their bike that high.

Here are some features you should look for:

The bike rack should be firmly attached. Ideally, it would be planted in cement. If this isn't an option, it should at least be bolted down and the bolts should not be easily accessible or removable.
The rack should either have loops to put locks through or be completely enclosed at the top. A pole with a bulbous protuberance at the top, like a parking meter, is not sufficient. If a person uses a longish cable lock, the bike could easily be lifted over the top.
You should be able to park a bike next to it in such a manner that a person could easily get a U-lock around both the frame and at least one wheel, both if the front wheel is removed, like this.
People shouldn't have to lift their bikes up to get them into a rack. Requiring a person to lift a bike to get it into a rack makes them extremely difficult to use for the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.

This design has become pretty standard where I live and works wonderfully.

It's certainly not the only option though.


When spending more time on your bike, it's good to be able to vary your position. For that reason alone I would advice a drop bar or butterfly bar. It'll prevent all kind of small complaints about wrists, shoulders and back.

Getting in better shape because of the extra daily exercise, you'll gradually feel more comfortable in a more sportive (aerodynamic) position.


Seeking suggestion for headset and bottom bracket press

I've used the Park Tools BB30 tool thing and a bar clamp (eg this) to squeeze pressfit bbs in. I can't speak for headsets though.

I've found that local bike clubs are a good way of gaining access to specific tools like this. Especially as they can be expensive considering how many times you might need to use them. And you get the bonus of someone who's experienced fitting things like headsets before. People are usually keen to help a fellow cyclist out.


Firstly, when you get a flat, you should make a mark across the tire and rim, and also remember the left-right orientation of the tube. Later, you can use this mark to align the tire to the rim exactly as it was when you got the flat, and from the location of the leak on the tube, you can later find the exact area of the tire and rim corresponding to the tube leak. You can focus your search for the problem there. Sometimes foreign objects are embedded in the tire such that they protrude very little and are not palpable. I have seen a bit of glass do this, as well as a piece of steel staple: basically sitting flush with the tire both inside and outside.

Pay attention whether these punctures are on the outside of the tube, where the tire tread meets the road, next to the sidewall or inside of the rim. That's a clue. A foreign object from the road won't ever puncture the inside; that suggests a rim problem.

Punctures are caused by foreign objects, by pinch flats, and by sharp edges in a rim. Pinch flats are due insufficient tire pressure allowing the tube to get pinched between the rim and some object that you hit while riding. In cheap, single-walled rims, the spoke nuts protrude into the air chamber area and come into contact with the tube. They also exhibit rough edges, and must be securely covered by a rim tape. Sometimes what passes for rim tape on cheaper bicycle wheels is just a rubber band that is supposed to stay in place under its own tension.

See this table for a ballpark tire pressure you should be using as a starting point, based on your tire width. If you go significantly lower, you risk those pinch flats.

Also:

  ... many patches ...

Patches will leak if they aren't done properly; the more of them you have on a tube, the greater the likelihood of a leak. If you have three patches, and two are good, but one is not so good, that's exactly like a tube with a single not-so-good patch. They all have to be excellent. When I patch a tube, I press the patched area between two wooden planks using a pair of F-clamps, and leave it clamped for at least 24 hours. After that I pack it up into a box; I don't use that tube right away, but carry it as a spare. That gives it more time to cure before the first inflation. After all that, I still cross my fingers when using the tube for the first time, and closely monitor the tire pressure in the days that follow.


Is there a difference between the durability of the chains with 1/8 and 3/32 inch?

Yes. All other things being equal a 1/8" chain will be a tiny bit sturdier than a 3/32", just by virtue of the fact that the plates are a little thicker.

I also have a single speed bike, I also choose to run a 1/8" chain.


Align Alfine 11 when the bolt does not go far enough?

The 'bolt' that the user manual refers to us usually known as a 'barrel adjuster'. Their function is to effectively shorten or lengthen gear or brake cables relative to their housings. In your case this is used to fine tune the cable length to achieve proper gear selection in the hub.

Your problem is that the cable is either too long or short even when the barrel adjuster is at the extremes of adjustment. What's probably happened is that the cable has stretched or the housing has moved a little bit (common in new bikes). The user manual seems to show there is a little clamp on the cable that locks into the hub, the position of that clamp probably needs to be adjusted to bring the gear alignment back into the adjustment range of the barrel adjuster.

If you're not familiar with bike mechanics I'd take it to a bike shop for the adjustment. If the bike is new you should be able to take it back to the shop you bought it from for free adjustments (at least that's common practice I the US, I would assume the same is true in the Netherlands).


Most pedal threads are 9/16" with the left pedal being left-hand thread (ie backwards to normal)   Kids bikes might have 1/2" axles or 9/16"
There were some crazy metric threads used in the 80s but they were very rare and never took off.
Not sure how you got it to work into a 15/32" other than that's vaguely close to 1/2" suggesting a kid's BMX.


The cable routing is different. Ultegra is designed to allow both cables to route along the handlebar (instead of that cable sticking out the side of the brake lever like on Sora), to give you a cleaner look and less chance of the cable getting in your way.

Ultegra is higher quality than Sora. It should shift a bit better, or at least go more miles before it needs adjusting to shift perfectly again. It should last longer.

Ultegra is basically the same as Shimano's absolute top of the line (Dura Ace), except a bit heavier.

If you're shopping around and looking at any other bikes, you may also want to consider Shimano 105. 105 is basically the previous generation of Ultegra without any carbon fiber.


What is the age of my columbia clippe bicycle, maunfactured by westfield Mfg.?

Welcome aboard.

Normally frame / serial numbers are few and far between and often get overlooked on here because normally they don't lead anywhere.

However in this case as it's pre-war and you had the basic info needed (Westfield, Columbia, Clipper) the info was actually quite easy to track down.

Thanks to a guy called Mercian over here at The Classic & Antique Bicycle Exchange

It appears "B" was the date letter for 1935 (you need to scroll down a lot on the page i linked)

Some great info and images of various Westfield Columbia's, good luck with the restoration

Thanks to @Andrew below for the following link.

Columbia Manufacturing FAQ


For degreasing I don't think it's that important to use a bicycle-specific product -- any reputable "parts degreaser" from a hardware store or auto parts place should suffice.

I would recommend avoiding "do all" cleaner/degreasers that claim to wash your dishes and do your laundry as well.  Stick to a "parts degreaser" or something of that ilk.

And, of course, thoroughly wipe dry the chain after cleaning, and relube with an appropriate chain lube.  Here using a bike-specific product is somewhat more critical.


Removing spray paint to reveal frame's factory paint job

Here is the best-case scenario:

the finish you applied is a single-component lacquer or enamel of some type which dries purely by evaporation of the solvents, not by a chemical reaction. No "hardener" was added to this when applying, and it's not a type which reacts with humidity or oxygen in order to further harden.
Whereas, the factory finish underneath is a reactive finish which hardens by "cross linking of the polymer": it is a two component polyurethane, powder-coated epoxy, "UV cured" stuff or some such.

In this situation, a solvent (e.g. acetone + toluene/xylene lacquer thinner) should take off your paint, while not attacking the factory paint. Try it in an inconspicuous area of the frame like the bottom of the bottom bracket (if you painted there) or chainstays.

Do not use anything abrasive: soft cotton cloth only, soaked in solvent. Use rubber gloves and work outside. Situate the work piece downwind relative to yourself, or wear a respirator.


Not a complete answer really, but I've had a scan through this TdF data Twitter account and Greipel's winning speeds from his two wins this year are an average of 59.58 km/h over the last km and a peak speed of 67.03 km/h.

Pretty quick.

Edit: more stats for nerds here.


How often do you ride? Short answer, yes this is pretty normal if you ride quite a bit. Shoes designed for use with platform pedals tend to have softer soles to improve grip with the pins. Unfortunately softer also generally translates to faster wearing.

In addition it looks like those particular pedals have a bit of a hollow portion to the pins, whether it is an allen wrench relief or otherwise. (My eyes aren't good enough to tell) I have found pedals that have an indentation or hollow portion in the center of the peg tend to tear up shoes a bit faster as they act like a sort of cookie cutter.

I have sense changed pedals and shoes on my MTB for similar reason. I find using a decent flat bottom skate shoe such as globe, etnies, DC or other similar style works just as well for me and i don't mind the slight difference in grip for general trail riding. Dirt jumping or similar you may feel the extra grip is worth the expense of wearing out shoes quickly.

I have also found Shoe Goo or similar works quite well for extending the use of such shoes once they start to wear. It seems to be pliable enough to work well with pinned platform pedals.


Brake line is unwound can I cut part off?

If it's only one strand then you can safely cut it off.  The problem is that this leaves a jagged end that will hang when you try to thread it, so some very careful work is required to get the cut end bent tightly back against the remaining cable.  Often this is more trouble than it's worth.


Continental tires have a tendency to do this, especially when new. It's very common. Put some soapy water on the bead and temporarily overinflate. That will usually get them to seat.


Clear coat on top of old paint in order to preserve it/frame?

You can but there are a couple things you will have to do first. Like @FreeMan was saying, to do it properly you would need to thoroughly clean and I would also use a degreaser before you paint it.

Something you could try before using the clear coat would and adhesion promoter like this. Even after doing all of that, there is no telling how well it will work and/or how long it will last.

Without a proper paint booth or ideal conditions it can be really easy to screw up a paint job.

If there is any underlying rust that hasn't presented itself, it will eventually even with a new coat.

Your best bet if you really want to do a proper job, is to sand, prime, paint again, and then use a clear coat.

If you want preserve the paint then you may be out of luck. If you want to simply restore/reuse the frame then I would just go back and do a proper job. It all depends on if it's worth the time, money, and energy to you.


What are the pros and cons of Double Butted vs Straight Spokes when building a wheel?

In his book 'The bicycle wheel' Jobst Brandt, says that double butted spokes will be more resistant to fatigue failure when built into a wheel.

This is because spokes break because of the cyclic stress they suffer as the wheel rotates.

As the spoke rotates thru the bottom of the wheel it experiences a reduction in tension.

Butted spokes are more elastic so this reduction in tension is spread over more spokes, each experiencing a smaller reduction in tension.

Wheels are an order of magnitude stiffer than the tyres they roll on, so any stiffness differences will not be noticeable. A wheel built with butted spokes will be able to carry a heavier load before any of the spokes become slack. At this point the rim is no longer restrained and the wheel will be more likely to collapse.


What is the middleground between permatube and normal tubes?

Permutube are not good to ride on

Middle ground is a heavier puncture resistant tire if you are running racing tires

Spare tubeS, tire patch, tube patches, and a pump.

Tubeless has a lower risk of failure but field repair is harder (you can put a tube in a tubeless).


Can I damage a tubeless rim using a wire bead tire on it?

To answer your question in a word: No.
You can run any tire on the rims you want. The "UST only" sticker is referring to when you're running tubeless. Even then I wouldn't pay it much mind. There are plenty of good non UST tubeless tires out there. Squirt some sealant in there, air them up and off you go. The UST standard is a dying (dead?) standard. Our friend Stan played a big part in making that happen. Before there were many tubeless tires available his tubeless kits converted most, but not all, non tubeless mtb tires to tubeless with no more issue than you would have with a UST certified setup. Some would argue that the NoTubes kits were more dependable than UST.


Function of colored tabs on SPD-SL Cleats

The coloured areas work as wear indicators, and the colour (e.g. yellow) tells you how much float the cleats have.

Looking at a pair just now, it seems that coloured areas assist the cleat in disengaging from the pedal. The front of the cleat acts as a pivot around which you twist the foot to release. The more material that remains here, the better it can act as a pivot.

The two rear areas of coloured cleat seem to ramp upwards against sloped areas on the back edges of the pedal when you twist the foot. This raises the back of the cleat which helps to open the spring mechanism of the pedal to release the cleat. If these areas wear down, they will not rise as high and so be less effective at releasing the cleat.

Edit: the cleat starts opening the spring before the rear coloured tab ramps up, but this ramping up gives the final 'pop' which releases the pedal.

Edit again: it is the inboard side of the rear coloured tab which ramps up, which would be why you have had no trouble yet clipping out when they are worn on the outboard side.


Yes, add the brake - as others have said, it might not be 'cool' but you'll end up being much more confident on it knowing you can stop it quickly. I also can't work out if you have foot retention or not from the picture, but even with a brake I'd highly recommend some kind of foot retention, and if you ride brakeless you are pretty much unable to stop at all without it.
If you like it and it fits, keep it. If you don't really like it, or it doesn't fit then it doesn't sound like you'll lose too much by selling it.

I'd get a brake on it and make sure it's serviceable then ride it for a while and see how you like it. Riding fixed takes some getting used to, so get some miles in before making your mind up!


If you have a power meter than download something like Golden Cheetah to analyse the data.
Otherwise, if you are just using Strava's predictive data - I wouldn't bother as it won't be accurate enough for detailed analysis.


It's possible you damaged your rim, but it should be very easy to check. Turn the bike over and spin the wheel and eyeball it both side to side and up and down. If you have put a flat spot in the rim it should be very noticeable.

It's more likely that it is just the way the (flat) tyre is sitting on the rim, which might well be affected by the valve. If you've got a narrow tyre and a lockring on the valve, that may be holding the tyre on the rim at that point only, causing a wobble when that part of the wheels hits the ground.


Looking to buy a bicycle for exercising and recreational activities, that will fit in a car

First off you will need to have a think about what kind of riding you want to do. For roads you'll want a touring bike, and for off road, a mountain bike. The key differences are:

Weight - riding rough trails and off road requires a strong frame. This will impact weight
Suspension - again, this adds weight, but can be essential on really rough terrain
Wheels and tyres - on the road smooth tyres require less effort, but off road you need grip

Then you'll want to find a good local bike shop (LBS) and ask about sizes. They will be able to advise on frame length, handlebars, seat type etc to suit you.

EDIT as mentioned below - get a helmet!

For fitting in a car, as long as you can remove wheels (these days you can get all types of wheels with quick release mechanisms) you should be able to fit them. In a saloon car you may need to be able to drop back back seats.

At begineer level, you really don't need to think about much else as far as the bike is concerned, however you will want to get lights, a bike lock and other accessories such as a speedometer (maybe gps), water bottle, and also things like cycling gloves (your fingers can get very cold on a long ride) and cycling shorts (again, for a long ride, the padding can be very important!)


Metal seat post with carbon fiber frame?

It's likely that Sheldon's concern was for galvanic corrosion between carbon fiber and aluminum.  This is an issue that's well-trod in both the bicycle and aeronautics fields.  In essence, in the presence of an electrolyte (sea air, your sweat) and a cathode (carbon fiber-embedded resin) the anode (aluminum) will corrode.  In the case of a seatpost/seattube interface, this corrosion will wedge the seatpost in place.  This can, at best, make it extremely hard to remove the seatpost.  At worst, it can render the frame unusable.

The first thing to do is to check to see if your frame was built with an aluminum insert for the seat tube.  Given that you currently have a carbon seatpost this is unlikely, but it would alleviate the main concern.

If that's not the case, there are still some precautions you can take. As Calfee notes, anodization will provide some protection.  As well, regular removal and cleaning and reinstallation with carbon paste can help prevent excessive buildup.

On the significantly more expensive side, you could also consider a titanium seatpost, which wouldn't corrode.

I'm not sure how the formatting in this article got so ruined, but you can read more in this VeloNews Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn.


SRAM replacement dub crankset, is this pre-greased?

Yes that is grease, in my opinion that is about the bear minimum amount intended to help prevent seizing between the two interfaces. I usually leave it if it is my own bike and just add a bit more additional grease, as most cycling greases will not have any interaction with each other. In a professional setting or working on someone else's bike I would remove it and use all one type.
If you watch Sram's installation videos they are definitely a bit more liberal with the application spreading it both on the exterior of the spindle, and in the grooves that interface with the crankset.


Probably not, given that amount of riding.

From a shop perspective, giving a recommend maintenance interval is trickier than it may seem, because you want to account for the rider who's riding a lot but doing absolutely no maintenance or adjustments beyond air and chain lube, and probably not even doing that consistently or well. To keep that person, and shops deal with a lot of them, on a reliable bike, 3 months is a pretty reasonable number. It's conservative but I don't see it as gouging.

What I tell people first when asked about how often to bring it in is that a little bit of maintenance on your part goes a long way to increasing the interval. This mostly includes learning how to use your barrel adjusters, lube your chain, and occasionally torque the key items. Do that and the 3 months will become 6, 9, 12 etc depending on how much you ride and conditions.

Getting your brakes bled once a year is a commonly cited timeframe, but in reality most people are better off doing it as needed. Doing it preventatively doesn't buy you much if there are no issues. Unlike bearing system overhauls, there aren't really outcomes with hydros that leave us saying, "If you had brought it in sooner it would have been fine, but now it's trashed."

That fork, unless I'm really missing something, is a basic grease-lubricated coil or elastomer fork that's intended to never be serviced. You might specifically ask the shop what they would actually do to it in a tune up. I'm guessing the basic response is check that it still works on the test ride and replace it completely if it doesn't. If there's an external adjustment specific to the Brain then it's probably something you can do yourself.


Can I add a gear to my Tourney 14-34T freewheel

Your 7 speed freewheel is old tech and is a bit of an orphan too - adding cogs increased the unsupported length of axle leading to more bent axles.  7 speed freewheel is really beyond the limit for most riders, and yours has probably survived this long because of your reduced load.

For the cheapest - you can get a freewheel that has a 13 tooth small cog.  For example https://harriscyclery.net/product/shimano-13-28-thread-on-7-speed-freewheel-2694.htm at $23 USD. You'll want a new chain too.

However that only gives you 1/14th higher gearing AND you loose some climbing gear too dropping from 34 to 28 tooth.

There is a "mega7" 7 speed freewheel which ranges from 11 to 34 tooth, but good luck finding one.  http://www.sheldonbrown.com/mega7/ shows 11-13-15-18-21-24-34 as the tooth counts, and looks like this:

They're long discontinued, so Ebay would be the best source.

On the other hand, you're wanting to get a better bike then its time to consider stepping up to exactly what you want.

A bike build starts with the frame, wheels and bars.  They dictate everything that comes afterwards.

Instead of a 26" wheel look at a 650b road wheel size, and a road frame that is a suitable size for your leg length.

You're as far to the short side of "average" as I am to the "tall" side of average, so I know your frustration on sizing, but from the opposite side.  You have the advantage of fitting onto a young-adult's frame which doesn't exist on my end of the sizing spectrum.

I'm not making a product recommendation here, but as an indicative example something like https://www.specialized.com/us/en/kids/bikes/allezjunior/128824  may be a good fit for you.

 Its a 650 wheel, and has 8 speeds.  You're unlikely to find 10 or 11 speed bikes in the smaller size wheels because there's just that much less room for the rest of the wheel's hub.  Has the same dual-pivot brakes a larger road bike would have, and the cassette is 11-32 with 8 gears and proper road bike brifters.

In terms of gearing, 34/46 with 11-32 on 650 wheels gives you a lowest gear of 26.2 gear-inches and a high gear of 103.3 gear-inches.
That's pretty jolly close to my 700c wheel triple crank road bike with 24.5 gear inches to 101.1 gear inches.

IE its a full-on road bike with all the road bike features, and not a modged-about MTB.

I'd strongly stick with a decent brand name kids bike, because cheaper bikes are slightly more likely to be BSOs where the kid grows out of them rather than wearing them out.

Your final option is to replace the rear wheel hub with a 8/9 speed cassette-based hub.  Shopping list of parts

New hub with a cassette freehub.  Number of spokeholes has to match existing rim.
Matching cassette, 11-34 tooth 8 or 9 cogs.
New right-hand shifter with matching 8 or 9 gears.
New chain of 8/9 gears to match
New gear cable inner and outers - they're cheap and may as well do it now.

You may require

New rear derailleur, if your existing one can't move quite far enough to get to the top and bottom cogs.
New spokes if the old hub and new hub are different dimensions
New rim if the rear hub has a different number of spoke holes etc.

It is frequently cheaper to buy a new wheel complete than to try and rebuild an old rim onto a new hub.  An 8/9 speed 26" MTB wheel should be relatively common to buy complete.

You should be able to re-use

Existing chainrings provided newer thinner chain fits
Front derailler, but thinner chain will shift a bit worse.  You may need to overshift and then trim back, or maybe compress the FD cage a bit  for the thinner chain.

Downside, this will leave you with a MTB frame with more gears, still heavier than a road bike.  Plus braking performance may suffer using the MTB wheel brakes with dropbar brake levers.   Really, not recommended for both price and performance reasons.


It should not require greasing after only 5 weeks, unless it was not done originally.

A noise of that type can be caused by basically 4 things in the Bottom Bracket:

Loose or worn bearings - in this case unlikely because of the age of the BB
Loose or dry BB cups
Loose crank bolts or crank arms
Dry chain - not likely, given the stated fix by your shop.

Options 2 or 3 are likely given the fix described. Both would be repaired by removing, greasing and retorquing the BB.

The most likely cause after such a short time is that they were left loose or dry during assembly, and that the shop or mechanic was talking CYA.

But that is difficult to determine from several thousand miles away. You can be confident that the maintenance does not need to be performed every few weeks. Your twice yearly tune up should be enough.


This could have also been a loose mounting bolt causing the excessive gap.  So here's the way warranty works.  The bike shop looks at your bike.  They make a recommendation to the manufacturer about what caused the defect.  If they believe it was

loose bolts on the small sprocket from the factory
slightly bent sprocket from the factory, made worse by the chain falling off
wrong chain used for the application (8,9,10 + sprocket chain width)

and they manufacturer says yes, they will re-imburse your local bike shop for the repair then you have a winner.  In some cases the manufacturer says no, they didn't cause that defect.  In that case the bike shop could build goodwill with you by repairing it at their cost to keep you as a happy customer. Talk to your bike shop.  DONT touch the area with tools at all (let the bike shop to that as part of fault assessment...)  Work with your bike shop to come to a resolve that makes everyone happy.

If that fails, and the bike shop says sorry, you are out of luck in obtaining a free repair there are always other options.  If you are a do it yourself person, you could remove the right side crank, remove the small sprocket, and bend it flat again (if its steel).  If its aluminum, toss it and get a new sprocket.  They really don't cost very much.


Looking for a narrow-cage 16T capacity FD

There will be only very small differences in the widths different FDs (assuming you are talking about the inside to outside dimension). One that is designed to be minimum sized so that it provides a best fit for 46t large chainrings is Shimano's CX-70, intended for cyclo-cross:
http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/cyclocross/cx70/product.-code-FD-CX70-B.-type-.fd_road.html
It does have a 16t capacity. It is also compatible with the bar ends (which don't index the front anyway).
I have purchased one of these to use with a similar chainring setup and 105 dual-STI brifters, but I have not yet installed it.


Chain going "slack" on the 7th gear under load on a new mountain bike?

Does the bike have multiple chainrings? Make sure you aren't cross-shifting- that is, shifting into a gear that is too high/low for the chainring that the chain is sitting on. This can cause a problem like you've described- chain rubbing on front derailleur and constantly attempting to shift to put the chain into a more linear position.


Best rear derailleur for a Schwinn ranger?

Any Shimano rear derailleur designed for 7 speed (3 front x 7 rear gears =  21 speed) drivetrains and mountain bike gearing will work.

For your practical purposes, the compatibility chart from Shimano below gives part numbers for the available rear derailleurs which will work with a 7 speed MTB drivetrain:

Those part numbers can be specifically matched for each derailleur.

To break down the part number I will use RD-M360 as an example.

"RD" = Rear Derailleur - "M" = Mountain Bike - "360" = model ID number
"RD" = Rear Derailleur - "TX" = Touring Bike - "800" = model ID number

Typically, the higher the model ID number, the better quality the part.


I often get a sore neck when riding. How can I adjust the setup of my bike to help prevent this happening?

I can think of a few possible explanations:

If you're sitting too upright, vibrations from the road/trail (anything from pavement quality to serious potholes) will travel straight up your spine, causing your the gaps between your vertebrae to expand and contract.  This can add up on a long ride.  Ideally you want to be leaning forward enough that your back has at least a slight arch to it so that your muscles absorb the impact instead of your spine.  Suspension (either rear or a sprung saddle/seatpost) can help here too.
If you're riding with your elbows locked, or letting your shoulders sag then again you're letting your inflexible skeleton take the shocks instead of letting your muscles do the work.
If you're leaned too far forward, then you'll constantly be craning your neck upwards to see the road ahead.  The solution here is to raise your handlebars and/or shorten the stem length.
Finally, long rides require stretching out muscles that tend to get stay in the same position all the time.  This is especially true for your upper body and neck.  Either stop to stretch or learn how to some basic stretches while riding.  If I didn't stretch my neck periodically, I'd be a mess after a 10+ hour ride!

Sheldon Brown also has some excellent tips on neck pain & riding posture.


No, you will need a set that is Campag compatible.

Some Campagnolo cranksets use special chain ring bolt that bolt through the ring and into the crank, at least behind the arm. The Athena 11 speed appears to be one of these.

One of the 5 bolts is longer than the rest. And unlike other brands, these bolt into cranks, not into a receiving nut.

This is a picture of a compatible set.


How can I tell if my bike has a freewheel or a cassette?

If you take the back wheel off you should be able to examine the freewheel/cassette to determine which it is. Here is a picture of some common types. If yours doesn't look like one in the picture, post a close up and I'm sure someone here can identify it.


Swapping position of Shimano shifter and brake lever

OK I understand. I have managed to swap the brake and shifter as you suggest, however, not his exact model and the components were worn - the gear shifter clamp had some play. If it fits, there is no reason not to. In the case I mentioned, I had to file down the cover of the indicator unit a little to accommodate the brake lever clamp. I also had to adjust the reach for the owner as the end of the brake lever was a little too far for safety. See page 64 for reach adjustment. https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-UABR001-03-ENG.pdf


Convert a Cannondale SM1000 (about 1991 model) to disk brakes

Adding a front disk brake:

Possible?  Yes!
Financially feasible?  Probably not.
Worth doing?  Only as a learning experience - don't expect it to turn out as good as a modern bike.

Your bike is 25 years old, and as such it will be a product of its time.  The fork will not have mountings for disk calipers, so you're up for welding some on, or replacing the fork.

If you weld, hopefully its a rigid fork because welding anything onto a suspension fork is incredibly hard, plus the risk of damaging the suspension.

Replacing the fork is easier, but you're going to need a 1" threaded MTB fork with disk mounts.

If all the other parts swap over unmodified, you're very lucky.

Do you have any emotional attachment to the old canoodle ?  Modifying it can be a bad idea and spoil your connection with the old bike.

I suggest you price up a new fork, wheel, caliper (both cable and hydraulic) rotor and see what the total parts cost is for both sorts.  Then go try some new bikes in a real shop, and calculate the difference in price.   You can even subtract whatever you'd get for selling the old bike, or revel in becoming a cyclist whose N value is now 2.

Just remember rule 12 (http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#12)

If you can get the parts for nothing, then by all means its a good project.  However it'll never be modern - instead its mutton dressed as lamb.


I doubt it is going to work on any rear rack. You may be able to install two roof racks end to end or buy an extra long one for tandems.
http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-558p-tandem-carrier.asp?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product-feed&utm_campaign=google-products&utm_term=100558P&gclid=CKf7rrWemboCFdAWMgodllgADg

Additionally, it should fit inside the Suburban.
Another idea would be to stand it up on top the truck after installing some sort of board. The huge kickstand should hold it up and just stabilize it with straps. Headroom will likely be a problem so it might also work to set a blanket down and just lay the bike on its side and strap it down that way.

I have a front load cargo bike and don't drive it often but when I do need to I just throw it inside my station wagon.


How to distinguish a 26 inch fork from 28 inch fork

Suspension (or rigid) forks are not designed just for a particular wheel size, instead they have a nominal crown to axle length. Frames are built for a specific length fork (or a range of fork lengths) that will give the proper head tube angle. This takes into account both wheel size and length of suspension travel.

Forks designed for rim brakes will of course have attachment points located correctly for a particular rim diameter. (Credit to RLH for reminding me of this in a comment.)

This gets a bit tricky with suspension forks, as obviously they are designed to change length and may extend beyond their neutral length without a rider on the bike.

Measure the crown to axle length of your current fork and look for a replacement based on that, length of travel (and rim brake boss location). AFAIK forks for 26" wheel bikes with short suspension travel (>80mm) are not available new (commenters please prove me wrong on this).


Unequivocally, yes, you can - it's just a matter of whether or not it's worth it to you.

Without seeing pictures or details: to avoid unnecessary added expense, you'll want to stick with frames that have:

The same head tube diameter, so you don't have to replace the headset
The same bottom bracket shell width (usually 68mm or 73mm), so you don't have to replace it and/or the crankset
The same rear brake mounts, so you don't have to replace that too (V-Brake/Braze-ons lower than the rim, U-Brake/Braze-ons higher than the rim, or cantilever/a hole in the center, disk brakes/two holes on the non-drive side near the hub). However, I'd probably go with V-Brake mounts and replace the rear brake if it has anything but disk.
The same seat tube diameter, so you can re-use the seatpost and clamp


Protocol for slipstreaming another cyclist?

I've found it courteous to come up beside the person and ask permission. I usually say "how far you going?" or "mind if I join you?". The real key is to take turns drafting. If the person says yes, I  usually take the first pull in front just to show them I'm not a wheel sucker.

As an avid cyclist, I've found very few things more annoying than riding for a good chunk of time, only to look back and find someone just sitting on your wheel with no announcement or indication that they are there.


Unable to loosen IXOW Wheelguard Gravity nut

Exact same problem here. Same bike. I got it off finally by just turning really really hard using a non-torque wrench. Make sure it's rotated so that the two dots are UP (12 o'clock). If installed correctly the lock should be at 12 o'clock when wheels are on the ground. So if you installed it in the wrong orientation (i.e. lock at 2 o'clock or 9 o'clock etc), then turning it upside down will not be the correct position. So rotate the bicycle around until the two dots are at 12 o'clock.

You can see from my photo it seems that when tried to loosen it, the tab on the black washer that is suppose to be in the fork dropout rolled into the plastic dropout insert which was causing it to bind. Going to write Canyon about this to see how I can get it repaired. Same thing happen to you?

Explained in the instructions from IXOW--packaged separately from the urban manual.


How do I calculate the spring weight rating for my bike?

From that spring calculator site  "The spring rate is the amount of force required to compress the spring one inch, and is measured in pounds."

Your current spring is rated at 550 pounds according to the label

Optional - to test it, put the spring somewhere you can measure the compression accurately, and load it with 55 pounds of weight.  It should compress 1/10 of an inch and then rebound to the original length.  Likewise it should extend 1/10 of an inch if you hang 55 pounds off it.

As long as you're not exceeding its elastic limits then the spring will rebound to its empty size (so says Hooke's Law)  Otherwise it will permanently deform, but that will take a lot of weight.

Based on the numbers in your question the answers from the calculator are:

Single Pivot / DW-Link

CCDB/5th(CVT)/Man(SPV)    764 lbs
Fox/RS/Maz (shims)       859 lbs

This is a single pivot suspension:

4 Bar / VPP

CCDB/5th(CVT)/Man(SPV)    840 lbs
Fox/RS/Maz (shims)      935 lbs

This is a pivoiting suspension:

The other titles are brands

CCDB is probably Cane Creek
5th CVT is probably Progressive Suspension Fifth Element
SPV is Manitou air shock
Fox is Fox Suspension
RS is RS Suspension
Maz escapes me sorry
Shims is one way of adjusting the spring, by adding more washer-like obstacles to compress the spring sooner.

Given your bike is slightly non-standard, at the end of the day you're going to have to take a guess.  If your bike has a see-saw pivot in the suspension, go higher or if its a straight squash then go lighter spring rate.

You could also consider the normal load you exert on the saddle when it bottoms out.  Then imagine half that weight, and extrapolate from there.


Derailleur out of alignment after cable snapped

The derailleur cage is not interfering with the larger chainring, it's hitting the chainguard.

As you say, its unlikely the derailleur slipped down the seat tube a few mm. Seat tube clamp mounts hold on quite tightly, and if they do move you typically are able to see a line on the frame where dirt accumulated next to the clamp. The parallelogram links are pretty robust and don't typically get twisted or bent. The cage itself may get tweaked but you'd see scratches if there had been an impact.

The derailleur might just have rotated around the frame very slightly causing one end of the cage to contact the guard. You'll be able to see if this is the case because the cage will not be parallel to the chainrings.

If the derailleur has not moved I suspect that the cage is actually able to move far enough outboard to shift the chain to the big ring before it hits the chainguard. If it will not shift the chain, moving the derailleur up a millimeter or two so it just clears the guard will probably be just fine.

It's probably worth running through a full front derailleur setup process to make sure you have the limits set correctly. Park Tool has a great web page and video that walks you through the whole process step by step.

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


Which chain should I buy to replace the one on my Specialized Rockhopper 2016?

New chains are a standard length more or less. You’ll need to remove some links to make it the correct size. Any 10 speed MTB chain is fine. KMC is a good brand.

You need a chain breaker tool to do this task.

If you have used this chain for a long time there’s a likelihood that the chain rings and cassette are stretched too and need replacement at the same time. This isn’t literal stretch, it means the tooth pitch has been worn into the chains worn out pitch. Look at the teeth on the chainrings, do they look sharky? That’s a sign.

You can check that with a chain wear gauge.

If the wear is a lot greater than 0.75% (most tools check 0.75 and 1.0) then you probably need the entire chain/chainring/cassette set changed.

If your drivetrain is stretched and you only replace the chain you’ll get skipping when you pedal.

You can avoid the full drivetrain replacement in the future by changing your chain once the stretch gets to 0.75. The cassette/chainrings will last 3-4 chains if you do that.

Links aren’t recommendations, just illustrative.


The smallest chainring that will fit on a compact double 110 BCD is 33t and they are quite hard to find ( Only TA or custom chainwheel manufacturers make them).

IMHO, what would be a true triple replacement would be something like a 11-30 with a 30/48.

Unfortunately, the 94 BCD cranks are almost all old MTB triples.

The problem with putting a large range cassette on that bike is compatibility with the Ultegra 11 spd shifters. I know Shimano 9spd is interchangable between road and mtn, but I'm pretty sure that is not the case 11 speed deraillers. Shimano does sell an 11-32 with that groupset Ultegra 6800, so they must think the medium cage derailler can deal with it.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/shimano-ultegra-6800-11-speed-road-cassette/rp-prod108686


These pedals will take the old style Look Delta cleats, NOT the Keo-type. The cleats are readily available from Look retailers. You can have them with the same specifications as the Keo cleats, in black, grey and red with 0°, 3° and 6° sideways free rotation.

Be aware though that the pedals have built-in sideways freedom of movement, toggled by the slotted screw at the rear so that it's not a good idea to buy the grey or red type. Probably too much of the good!


What are the 'parts' to a mechanical disc brake set?

It depends on how you buy the brake, so you need to check whats coming with what you're buying. Typically, you get the caliper+pads+rotor+mounting hardware and buy the brake lever (which is a V-brake lever most of the time unless its a road brake in which case its a regular short pull lever) separately along with the cables+housing. In some cases though (esp. buying brakes on eBay), people buy just the caliper+pads+mounting hardware and get rotors separately.

This example from Nashbar tells you the Avid BB7 Road comes with "Includes 1 post mount (74mm) caliper, 1 rotor (160mm) with bolts, sintered pads, and 74mm post mount to IS mount adapter".

The typical hardware (Avid BB7 Road with a G2 rotor) is shown below:

(from Nashbar)

To this you'd need to add a brake lever (e.g. Tektro RL340), some brake cable and brake housing in order to get a functioning brake system.

For maintenance and some description of the important parts, see this Park tool repair guide as well.


Is it a bad idea to take a commuter bike for a 50 - 100km ride?

Reliability
True commuter bikes are built for day-in and day-out reliability. As far as breaking down, you have little to worry about as a commuter bike is designed to take massive amounts of abuse and neglect and still function. While you could have a part failure like any other bike, these are uncommon and the most frequent (the flat tire) is easily fixed. On a group ride, someone will likely have a repair kit in their bag, or if you are more proactive you can carry one yourself.

Comfort
While commuter bikes are designed with comfort in mind, they do not have long distance comfort in mind. In particular, a commuter/comfort bike with a wider saddle may prove to cause more chafing on a long ride like this than a narrower and seemingly less comfortable road saddle. Also, depending on your handlebar setup, there may only be one legitimate hand position - which means your body is, by default, forced into one position for the ride. In both cases if after your 30km ride you did not have issues, than whatever issues arise on this longer ride will more than likely be tolerable. While it may not be ideal, you are not going to get any serious injuries due to the bike setup.

Speed (energy expenditure)
Compared to road bikes, commuter bikes can be slow and heavy. You will spend more energy going the same distance, but if you have the fitness and patience to do so then it's a non-issue, unless you are riding in a group with fit riders on faster bikes where you may hold the group back. Additionally in a strong wind you will have a harder time in an upright position then on a road bike with drop bars, where you can tuck forward into the wind.

While there are better bikes built for longer distance traveling, there is no reason a fit person couldn't finish a 50-100k bike ride on a commuter. Since you have completed 30k I don't think 50k will pose a major issue. If you step up the distance incrementally you will know where your physical limit is. Enjoy your ride!


Changing Scott Scale 960 2019/2020 rear hub to thru-axle?

You're unlikely to get hubs that convert from QR to thru-axle as part of a complete factory bike, though a good number of after market hubs are available which can be swapped between the different standards using end caps. I say unlikely but it's not impossible, the best thing would be to contact Scott directly or your local dealer with the enquiry.

The problem you have though, is that the frame is designed around a QR axle. It has vertical dropouts, spaced 141 mm apart (boost QR) and no threads for a thru axle. Thru axles just don't fit in the same frames, so you can't fit a thru axle hub in the bike anyway.

Unless... it has been designed with this swap in mind, as Fred(tMWD) has commented previous models have featured. I'm inferring that Fred's was a premium model though.  Screenshot below of the current design of 960, looking to me like a traditional qr hanger design. In particular, the aluminium frame is inboard of the hanger, leading to a fixed geometry (O.L.D.), making me think this frame is designed with boost QR in mind only.

So again, unlikely on the frame being dual-compatible, but not for me to say impossible. An email to Scott could confirm.

Further reading on hubs: https://www.halowheels.com/frame-spacing-hub-o-l-d-information/


Saddle height for MTB might need to be a bit lower... I'll skip being the expert on that though as I've heard all sorts of preferences...

Your balance steps in greatly here, how slow can you ride or how long can you stay upright when stopped; how much front tire popping up during that climb can you handle.  That doesn't answer anything, but obviously it helps.  For some more tangible tips (adding to your list).

Black scenario: yup, just too steep to start on.  It's a fact that we can ride steeper than we can start on.

White scenario:

Pedal at 2 o'clock: yes, as high as you can tolerate it.  Maybe even 1 o'clock, as you be a bit back on the bike (only so far back that there's still some weight on the front for steering).  The front tire may very well come up as you do this, don't worry and save the steering for when the wheel is actually touching if you can.
Choose a place with some traction if you can.  Wet tree roots are not the place :)  In fact, note the next few good traction spots... and also the slippery ones.
Don't choose a gear too low, you won't get enough umph out of one stroke to stay up on, and it'll be harder to ease into the torque.  You want to be putting all your weight on it, and pulling with bars too... one gear higher (or two?) than what you might use had you not fallen off.  That will move you a bit farther on one stroke, but you'll have to push hard and be ready for the end of that first stroke (the dead spot is longer too!)
As you do that stroke, transition your weight forward. Forward weight is not what you want, but by transitioning forward you're pushing on the back tire.  Aim to be slightly forward when you end your stroke.  Imagine you're pulling the weight off the front wheel , and that action leaves you slightly forward at the end of the stroke.
Near the bottom of your stroke, when the torque is rolling off flick the bike forward with the handlebars to get you through that first dead spot, this will take a lot of shoulder action.  (I've also seen guys do a quick 90° back pedal into that 2 o'clock position again, rather than fumble through the dead spot;).  If your trail is ridden with tree roots and slippery spots you can also use the quick back pedal to align your dead spot with that tree root, and flick over it.
After a few strokes and some speed you might be able to coast for one pedal and shift back into a lower gear, and you can call it a successful start.
If you really want to improve your chances of starting, take a quick 1min breather; take a drink and a wiz.  You'll need to be ready for putting in the sprinting effort required to get started again.


Tektro Spyre C — is the rotor riveted to the hub?

Rotors are wear items and therefore must be removable.

The Cube website does not specify what rotors are fitted, but I strongly suspect they are Shimano Center-lock which have a steel rotor riveted to an alloy ‘spider’.  They are fixed to the hub with a central lock ring.

Changing the rotor will not improve braking performance, unless you are thinking of replacing it with a bigger one.


Single pivot brake with handlebar levers (Resurrecting an old Colnago)

There are interrupter levers such as the Tektro RL720 pictured here (courtesy of Rivendel):

You will need to redo the cabling, but standard V-brake levers will not work for a variety of reasons (handle bar diameter (conceivably, you could shim it on, but this doesn't seem very safe) and amount of cable pull (which you could solve with a travel agent, but this is pricey). Most of these are designed for 24mm clamp diameter bars, so you may need a new bar if yours doesnt have this diameter.

Arne's suggestion is a good one though - you could fetch a pretty penny for that thing from a vintage bike nut, and get something thats more discrete for riding around town and other things (and has the essential rack and fender mounts).


Why does hunger have a much more drastic effect in cycling than in other endurance activities?

The short answer is that it is purely down to your individual training level and mechanical efficiency in each of these disciplines.

Bonking is a result of fully depleting your glycogen stores.  Once this occurs, your body's only source of fuel to power your exercise is to metabolise fat.  This does not change regardless of what activity you are performing.

However, your state of training and efficiency can impact how long your remaining glycogen stores can last.

As an example, consider the case where an athlete is significantly less trained at running, than cycling.  In this case the perceived effort level may be the same, but in fact, when running, the muscles are generating less power, hence requiring less fuel, and allowing them to last longer before bonking.


What bike/helmet camera resolution is needed in order to read licence plates?

Security cameras have a standard called "pixels per foot" (ppf).  This means that at a certain distance, an object 1 foot across (about the size of a US license plate) will have a certain number of pixels.  As the object moves further away, the number of pixels per foot decreases.  As the object moves closer, the number of pixels per foot increases.

This is the correct way to measure whether you can read license plates or not, because it takes the camera lens field-of-view into account.  This is particularly important when dealing with the GoPro since it has a maximum field-of-view of 170 degrees!  This means its pixels are spread over a much larger area.

Conveniently, security cameras makers also have a standard for reading license plates of 40-45 pixels per foot.

Take a GoPro recording at 1920x1080 (aka 1080p) @ 170 degrees. Presumably you'd use this if mounted to the bike; the wider angle simply records more.  Your resolution will drop to 45 ppf at 14.4 feet away.  That is, beyond 14.4 feet away, it will get harder and harder to read license plates clearly.

A more thorough listing of a few different cameras:
 - GoPro 1920x1080 @ 170 degrees; 14.4 ft
 - GoPro 1920x1080 @ 127 degrees; 19.2 ft
 - GoPro 1920x1080 @ 90 degrees; 27.2 ft
 - GoPro 4k 3840x2160 @ 170 degrees; 28.8 ft
 - GoPro 4k 3840x2160 @ 127 degrees; 38.5 ft
 - GoPro 4k 3840x2160 @ 90 degrees; 54.3 ft
 - Novatek NT96650 G1W 1920x1080 @ 120 degrees; 20.4 ft
 - Mobius ActionCam 1920x1080 @ 116 degrees; 21.1 ft

The last two were selected because they were reviewed by Popular Mechanics as car dash cams, not because of their suitability for use on a bicycle.

More math! (oh noes!) A car travelling at 30 mph (relativistic) is travelling at 44 ft per second.  That is, a car approaching you at 44 ft per second across a 30 ft distance (picked at random) will take 0.68 seconds to reach you.  At 30 frames per second, that means you can record 20.5 frames.  The more frames you get, the more likely that you get a clear one.

However, after laying all that math out, I'm not sure that 40 ppf is the minimum.  Digital Image Forensics can recover an amazing amount of detail out of a blurry image, particularly because license plates are high contrast.  Judge for yourself by searching for "digital forensics license plate"

I'm also not sure that 30 mph is a reasonable target to aim for; it seems a bit fast in most cases.

I recommend trying it out for yourself.  Get a tape measure, borrow a camera, and record your license plate in 5 ft increments, and judge for yourself what seems like a effective distance is.  Take angle into account; not everyone is going to be approaching the camera straight on; they could be approaching you from a cross street, so you might be viewing it at 45 degrees or so.


Can anyone tell me what bike logo this is? Cant seem to find it

It's a logo for the Fit Bike Co

With a circle

Fit Bike Co logos


Low sprocket exceeds derailleur max teeth but total capacity within range of derailleur

If the RD is suited for 36 teeth it may work with a 38 but highly unlikely with a 42. Shimano is conservative with teeth counts, you're right but still there are limits to get things to work. It is mainly a problem with geometry. The cage will have trouble to take up the extra length of chain. And also not to get into the way of the sprockets. You could try with one of these devices that put the RD 2cm lower but you'll trade it for less precise or more sluggish shifting.
The size of the front rings plays a lesser part if the difference the two is between more or less standard, although with smaller sized rings you may have trouble for FD height with a braze-on mount.


Can I convert Kiddicarrier jogger to a bike trailer?

If you’re transporting kids then I’d stick with the manufacturer’s conversion kit if they have one. If they don’t have one, then I’d sell your trolley and buy one that does have a conversion kit. You don’t want to explain to your spouse or parents why their kid/grandkid died in a horrific accident when your DIY trailer hack came apart in a busy intersection.

Otherwise, if you’re carrying cargo the DIY conversion isn’t hard. You just need to first decide if you want to put the hitch on one of the axles or tow from the seatpost or rear rack. There’s advantages and disadvantages to both. I have a question of here that lays it out.

Fabricating and mounting a drawbar isn’t too hard. The folks at the hardware store can help you bend pipe or conduit and sell you pipe clamps to mount the drawbar.

Then you need to buy a quick release or make your own. They’re not hard to make but hard to make well. They sell kits on amazon.


Bar end shifters onto a flat bar - temporary fix solution

Go find a scrap donor bike - either check at the local refuse-resell shop, or a bike cooperative.   You're after one with friction lever shifters.
A simple friction shifter will move as many gears as you want, and won't cost a lot.  They're super-versatile and are well-worth holding onto for situations like this.
I used one to shift a quad-chainring bike, and it worked really well for that purpose.


What are the directions for removing the bottom bracket bearing caps?

Parktool has the directions you seek in this nice howto

and

Note that this works fine for English threaded BB/frames (so with the majority of modern bikes). If you were to ever work on a classic Italian or french bike with Italian threads, the directions would be reversed on the drive side.


Should I consider replacing bottom bracket?

I would have though that after  18 years and 45000km the bottom bracket would be worn out. I recently learned that bearing wear is heavily dependent on load (source: GCN Everything You Need to Know About Bearings) so if you are a light rider and are not putting out lots of power I guess the bottom bracket bearings could last that long.

If you are not feeling any play in the bottom bracket bearings and they turn smoothly that's further evidence the bearings are OK. If you can you should pull the cranks off and turn the axle with your fingers. You may find you feel drag or 'notchiness' that the mass of the cranks is disguising.

You very likely have a cartridge type bottom bracket bearing unit, these are not particularly expensive and are available from a number of vendors so you may as well replace it. I'd check the chain with a wear gauge and consider replacing it, and look at the chainrings and sprockets as well.


How can I be visible in the dark when I'm signalling a turn?

I should imagine you should be looking for some reflective gloves. Or even some glo gloves
Check these out as an example ...
http://lifehacker.com/395978/glo-gloves-reflective-cycling-gear

Also using a good reflective jacket that has good reflective strips down the arms is useful.


Can I change my bike from a 3x7 to a 1x7?

Changing to 1x7 is not going to give a very good experience.  There are several features that work together to make a nice 1x setup and none of them are present in 7 speed groupsets.

1x first became mainstream with the introduction of wide range 11 speed cassettes.  This allowed an adequate range of gears without the jumps between becoming uncomfortably large.

However 1x also presented problems with the chain being dropped over rough terrain.  The clutch mech and narrow-wide chainring were developed to combat this.

So whilst it may be possible to convert to 1x7, it is certainly not advisable.


Help me understand my 8-speed uniglide compatibility issue

This is not my area of expertise, but at first glance you have a 6/7 speed freehub body, not an 8 speed as you thought.

I see the threads on the 8 speed are cut into the splines, whereas yours has a continuous thread all the way around, but its lower than the highest part of the splines.

Some photos thanks to google images:

Images from https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/626072-dura-ace-freehub-id-7400-7402-7403-101-a.html and theres more info there.


Are all ready-made wheels sold "cassette compatible" only?

If your hub is in good condition & you wish to keep it having the wheel rebuilt is the way to go. However if your shop is trying to charge you more then 100$ish dollars for a rebuild, especially on an older hub perhaps consider doing the rebuild yourself. Re/building wheels is not a particularly difficult task with a wheel stand & proper tools all of which are readily available online for reasonable prices. However it can be exceedingly time consuming so consider this aspect as well the reality is that it most likely would take you shop just as long to rebuild the wheel but some times it's more easy to just pay someone.


Yes, Metrea cranks will fit on your bike, but you need a new bottom bracket. You have a threaded bottom bracket shell with a cartridge BB, Metrea cranks work with outboard Holowtech II BBs in the threaded shell. The Shimano spec pages says use an SM-BBR60.

Whether you can get an 11 speed cassette on the freehub depends on the size of cassette you use. Road 11 speed freehub bodies are slightly longer than 8-10 speed ones to accommodate the wider cassette, however, if the largest sprockets are big enough the cassette spider can overhang the hub a little and not interfere with the hub body or spokes. Many larger cassettes come with a spacer that is used on 11 speed freehub bodies and left off on 8-10 speed freehub bodies.


Why aren't sealed hub bearings common place?

Cone, ball and cup aka traditional wheel bearings are the simplest and cheapest expression of wheel bearings. Simple to manufacture, easy to maintain and repair with the simplest tools and a handful of standard parts that have been around for more than a century in the remotest locations. And the wheel will even turn after emergency repair when, say, one bearing ball is missing, while a toast sealed bearing means a break-down.
Sealed bearings require high precision manufacturing, logistics & stock-keeping, special tools and trained mechanics.


If you have a steel bike, a good shop can "cold set" it to 135 mm.

This PDF on the Chris King website illustrates the 2-piece axle.


How can I know the number of teeths I need to go uphill?

I don't think you can do it unless you are planning on carrying a few chain links to splice in whenever you flip your wheel. In any case, with the relatively large 46 tooth chain ring I think you'd need at least 36 teeth on the back to get up a 15% grade. Which would require a chain with 10 more links


That will be fine.

38 is the measure of your tyre width.
Most inner tubes can be used in a range of tyre widths eg 38-43 (it should say on the box)
They all seem a bit big and flappy until the tyre is on and it's pumped up.

Be careful not to pinch any of your inner tube between the edge of the rim and the bead of the tyre.


What can I do to stop my front dérailleur rubbing against the crank arm?

If you already adjusted the front derailleur, there is not much to do. As you wrote yourself, the distance between crank arm and chainring is too small for your derailleur. Ask Rotor about compatible derailleurs.

The main reason to have derailleur not touch is not noise. The derailleur scratches the crank, which creates a starting point for cracks.


Can moving cycling cleats forward be a good way to train our calf muscles?

There's no point.  Calf muscles do not provide significant power in cycling:

Further down the chain into the lower leg the gastrocnemius and soleus haven't been found to add much power to the pedal stroke but their main role is to stabilise the lower leg to enable an efficient transition of the force generated by the upper leg to the pedal.

The final part of a stride while running is the calf muscle extending the foot to get a final push off the ground - and this happens when the leg is just about straight, so the force that gets transmitted pushes directly on the center of mass and helps propel the body forward.
The power stroke when pedaling occurs with the knee bent.  Any force the calf muscle exerts just gets transmitted through the knee to the quadriceps, which still have to do the work to push the knee down and provide power to make the bike go.
Lengthening the lever arm the calf muscles have to work against by moving the cleat forward on the foot just makes the calf's muscles work in stabilizing the ankle and foot while pedaling harder without generating any more power.


Aerodynamic effect of drafter to the draftee

When you are riding along on your own you're not only pushing the air in front of you out of the way, the most obvious source of air resistance, but you're also being slowed by the turbulent air behind you. However slightly.

Surprisingly, having someone draft you will help smooth out that turbulence, and so you benefit as well! ( Just make sure they take their turn in front ).

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cycling/aerodynamics2.html


You are correct about the two failure modes.  Try lubricating your freewheel with a light oil.  If it is dry or dirty that can cause it to not engage.  If that does not fix it then you will need to replace it.


Yes, those are wear indicators.

The change is noted by retailers:

  Note: Continental has added wear indicators to all Continental
  Gatorskin tires. These small divots in the tread surface are
  intentional and are not a sign of a factory defect. Once the rubber
  wears to the point where the divots are no longer discernible, you'll
  know it's time to replace.


A Raleigh M-50 was a great entry-level mountain bike. In order to answer your question well, let me clarify for you what buying a bike "like an M-50" means to me:

Inexpensive, but good quality:
  A "real" bike, built by a professional, which happens to be cheap.
Off-road capable:
  Regardless of whether you need or use this option, it feels good.
Commute friendly:
  To be honest, the M-50 wasn't a bike I'd have picked to commute on, and there are better options now as well. But you will compromise the off road capability if you pick something else.
Fun.

There are a few bikes to look at. Pretty much every quality brand has a similar model of MTB, with some variation in spec and price.

The first thing to decide is if you really want an off road bike, or just a durable one.

If you want an off road bike, meaning that you want to ride in dirt, gravel, or non-pavement situations on at least a part time basis, look at the Scott Aspect series. The price range is good, an in just about every respect, I would consider them a modernized M-50 type bicycle.

Also, the Specialized Hardrock series.
And the Trek Sport series.

If you really want a commuter, which is as tough and as durable, and as simple to use and maintain as a mountain bike, but with the speed, agility, and distance friendliness of a road bike, then look at:

The Scott SUB series (Particularly the SUB 10)

or

the Specialized Sirrus (Less durable, but a great commuter).

You need to find the bikes in a LBS and ride them, which will tell you more than I ever could here, but I hope that helps, and feel free to ask more questions if I can do anything more.


Ideal pants for bicycle commuting the rain

Which pants do you have right now? And did you enjoy that downpour yesterday? There wasn't a dry cyclist in the city, breathable pants or not. Some days we're just going to get wet.

Showers pass is made right here in portland, and I use them on all the nasty days, for me they work great http://www.rei.com/product/821425/showers-pass-roadie-event-bike-rain-pants-mens

Arc'teryx, even though I can't pronounce their name, make the top of the line holy grail rain gear. I was just looking at these for myself yesterday: http://www.rei.com/product/836409/arcteryx-micon-insulated-pants-mens


I'm not sure why you've not received an answer before now.  The fist thing I would do is change the cables and housings.  This is cheap and easy.  You can get a cable kit on ebay for about $15, and you can do it without any special tools*
It solves so many shifting problems because friction builds up in the housings after use and time.
It is not a guaranteed fix, but it is something you want to do periodically anyway. There are a jillion youtube videos explaining how to change cables and housings, but let me know if you want me to recommend one in particular.
*I mention no special tools.  Technically, a cable cutter is your best bet for cutting the cables, but not practical if you don't expect to be doing this much.  If you decide to hack it with a pair nippers of some other kind, you'll mash the housing.  Just make sure you try to return it to round as best you can with a pair of pliers.  Then take a toothpick or pencil or similar to make sure the hole (for the cable) is not obstructed by any of the metal that you mashed.  This is easier with shifter housing than brake housing.
I have had a lot of success with a pair of dual action mini bolt cutters.
When you take the old housing off, use it to set the length of the new housing that you will cut.
Note that shifter housing and brake housing are not the same, nor are the cables.  Shifter housing is slightly narrower, and has wires in a gently spiral running almost parallel to the housing.  Brake cable has a tight spiral and running almost perpendicular to the housing.  Shifter cable is 4mm, and the cable for it is 1.2mm.


I can not find anything suggesting that these components require special parts, so it looks like any road bike brake lever should work well.

If you are replacing the shifter as well, then you should be sure to buy and indexed 5 speed shifter. It will be difficult to find a 5 speed brake lever / shifter combo, as most road bikes have many more gears.


Will adding duck/duct tape in my tires stop punctures?

Answer: No, not really.

Duct tape, "duck" tape, or any adhesive tape by itself is not enough to stop a puncture.  At best the extra layers will slow down ingress of a sharp foreign object in your tyre carcass, but no different to a thicker rubber tread.

If your tyre is getting worn in the middle, there's often an uptick in the frequency of punctures which indicates.  Adding layers of cloth or paper on the inside is nowhere near the same as the thicker tread of a new unworn tyre.

Other options:

If the tyre is worn, replace it.
Confirm your air pressures are suitable.  Too low-pressure means your tyre can't stop the rim from banging into rocks or the road, so you get one or two "snake bite" punctures.  If this is the case, increase your pressure a little, and work on your technique to stop impacting things as hard.
Tyre liners - these are hard plastic strips that lay inside the tyre and around your inner tube.  They are harder and work to deflect inbound sharps.  Downside is an increase in rolling resistance and weight.
Sealant - there are liquids you can run inside your tube/tyre to seal leaks.  They're not guaranteed to work but they do help smaller holes.
Tubeless - if you need low pressure for off-road riding and tubes aren't low enough, then converting or replacing your tyres with full tubeless allows lower pressures.  I have no personal experience of this.
Technique - practice how you ride, and work to avoid the things that cause punctures.  If you flat after landing hard, then stop landing hard.  If you have broken glass in your tyre, then avoid riding through broken glass.

Looking at the spec of your bike, its a 26" with rim brakes and 3x7 gearing with "revo" shifters and sub-Tourney parts.   Its not a high-end bike, so all stock parts will be low-end to meet that price point.  Not a bad thing, but a stock tyre is generally worse than what you can buy new.

The date is hard to pin down but it appears to be a ~2006 vintage bike, so if the tyres are original then they may be cracked or perished.  The tubes can also suffer from embrittlement or perishing.  Same for brake pads.

So the first thing I'd suggest is replacing the tubes, tyres, rim tape, and you may consider new brake pads at this time too given the wheels will be off.